MercoPress https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[“We are oppressed in Brazil”: thousands of conservative Brazilians seek new life in Paraguay]]> Paraguay broke a record in 2025 by granting 40,600 residency permits to foreigners. More than half — 23,500 — went to Brazilians, far outpacing the 4,300 Argentines in second place Hundreds of Brazilians camped overnight on beach chairs, plastic benches and tarps outside an immigration center in Ciudad del Este, on the border with Brazil, to secure a spot in a Paraguayan government drive to fast-track residency applications. Some organized an improvised barbecue on a barrel while they waited. Others had traveled more than 1,500 kilometers by bus. All shared a common thread: the desire to leave Brazil for reasons they describe as political, economic and ideological, according to a report by BBC News Brasil.

]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2026 23:08:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentine court orders environmental studies over HIF plant in Uruguay]]> HIF Global's project envisions the production of approximately 880,000 metric tons per year of synthetic fuels from green hydrogen about three kilometers from the Argentine shore at Colón A federal court in the Argentine city of Concepción del Uruguay on Friday ordered a series of environmental studies and requested information from Uruguayan agencies after accepting a lawsuit against the Uruguayan state and multinational HIF Global over a green hydrogen plant project in Paysandú, in a new source of bilateral tension that echoes the Botnia pulp mill conflict of the early 2000s.

]]> Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:49:00 GMT <![CDATA[Mercosur, climate and immigration: the hoaxes targeting rural Europe]]> Russia is cited as one of the identified sources, though not the only one, and the motivations remain difficult to pinpoint.<br /> <br /> The European Commission and fact-checking experts have identified a growing wave of disinformation targeting rural areas and the agri-food sector across the continent, with campaigns exploiting the controversy surrounding the EU-Mercosur trade deal, climate skepticism and anti-immigration sentiment.

]]> Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:30:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil hit hardest as Latin America adjusts to Trump tariffs after one year]]> The region shows uneven results one year after the start of Washington's tariff war. Photo: Brazil's Santos port (APS) One year after the Trump administration launched its tariff offensive against more than 180 countries, Latin America presents a mixed picture: some economies lost competitiveness in the U.S. market, while others redirected exports or negotiated agreements to cushion the blow.

]]> Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:01:00 GMT <![CDATA[Lula and Peña agree to accelerate Itaipú treaty review]]> Annex C stipulates that both countries are entitled to 50% of the energy generated, but requires whichever party does not use its full share to sell the surplus to the other at preferential rates The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Paraguay, Santiago Peña, agreed on Sunday in Campo Grande to intensify negotiations over Annex C of the Itaipú treaty, the instrument that governs the financial terms and energy sales of the binational hydroelectric dam, one of the largest in the world.

]]> Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:53:00 GMT <![CDATA[Paraguay and Germany seek to deepen trade ties under EU-Mercosur agreement]]> “We have very good relations with Paraguay — everything is in place to work very well here,” Herrera said. Relations between Paraguay and Germany are at a positive juncture, with prospects for growth in trade, investment and tourism, according to German Deputy Ambassador in Asunción Jörg Herrera, in an interview with state broadcaster Paraguay TV.

]]> Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil promulgates Mercosur-EU deal, completing domestic ratification of trade pact]]> During the formal session, Alcolumbre said trade “is the key to world peace” and argued that countries that do business with one another tend to have more to lose from war than to gain from it Brazil’s Congress on Tuesday promulgated the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, completing the final domestic step required for the treaty to take effect on the Brazilian side. The ceremony was led by Senate and Congress President Davi Alcolumbre, who framed the pact as a sign in favor of trade, stability and integration at a time of wars and commercial tensions.

]]> Wed, 18 Mar 2026 23:10:00 GMT <![CDATA[Colombia and Venezuela will seek full Mercosur membership, Petro says]]> From a formal standpoint, the status of the two countries within the bloc differs. Colombia is currently an associate member of Mercosur, while Venezuela remains suspended Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his country and Venezuela will seek admission to Mercosur as full members, one day after a ministerial meeting in Caracas that he described as “extremely successful,” according to EFE. In a message posted on X, Petro said: “We will ask for the moratorium to be lifted so Venezuela can enter Mercosur as a full member, and Colombia will submit its own request to join as a full member.”

]]> Mon, 16 Mar 2026 05:17:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil completes its legislative process and ratifies the EU–Mercosur deal]]> Brazil’s ratification strengthens Mercosur’s internal momentum after Uruguay and Argentina recently moved the deal through their own parliaments Brazil’s Congress on Wednesday ratified the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, completing the legislative step in the South American bloc’s largest economy. The Senate approved the treaty unanimously, after the lower house cleared the text last week, according to local reporting and wire-service coverage.

]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:50:00 GMT <![CDATA[Uruguay activates Mercosur–Singapore FTA on a bilateral basis, opening preferential access to Southeast Asia]]> Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi at the signing of the Mercosur-Singapore agreement. Photo: Foreign Ministry The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Mercosur and Singapore entered into force on a bilateral basis between Uruguay and the city-state on 1 March 2026, after both sides completed domestic procedures and deposited their instruments of ratification, according to a joint statement.

]]> Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:06:00 GMT