French companies have been reported to be exploring the relocation of their production to Paraguay, drawn by its maquila regime and strategic geographic location, according to Benoit Libourel, president of the Paraguayan-French Chamber of Commerce.
Add your comment!Despite some alignment on climate issues, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's state visit to Paris on Thursday was marked by tensions over trade, Ukraine, and Gaza. Lula urged French President Emmanuel Macron to support the Mercosur-EU trade agreement, emphasizing it as a response to rising protectionism. French farmers called on Macron on Wednesday to reiterate their “firm” rejection.
France will implement a nationwide smoking ban in public places frequented by children, effective July 1, 2025, Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin announced Friday, ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Saturday. In South America, the measure will apply to the overseas department of French Guiana, which follows French national laws. The issue is also environmental, with cigarette butts polluting seashores.
France's Parliament is expected to resume this week the discussion on whether to legalize euthanasia or any other form of dignified dying, with two main bills on the table, one focusing on palliative care and the other seeking to move forward with assisted suicide. The debate had been halted in June when President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly.
A large number of Latin American social organizations and personalities, such as Argentine 1980 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, demanded Thursday that France recognize and compensate Haiti for the indemnity it imposed after the country's independence in 1804.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that France's far-right leader Marine LePen's conviction and five-year disenfranchisement for embezzling public funds was politically motivated after she led all surveys for the 2027 presidential elections.
Venezuela's Foreign Ministry Tuesday instructed The Netherlands, France, and Italy to cut down their diplomatic missions in Caracas to three members each following what the Bolivarian regime described as meddling in internal affairs.
Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil were reported Friday to have spoken on the telephone with Veenezuela's Nicolás Maduro to persuade him to resume talks with the opposition after being inaugurated for a third consecutive six-year term following the controversial July 28, 2024, elections.
A politically shaken France has been downgraded by Moody's Investors Service from “Aa2” to “Aa3” and the country's long-term outlook went from “stable” to “negative” amid the ongoing “fragmentation” following the appointment of Prime Minister François Bayrou.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has been forced to resign after losing a vote of no confidence Wednesday prompted by budget disputes. However, he will likely stay as a caretaker PM until President Emmanuel Macron finds a replacement. Barnier's appointment took Macron nearly two months after July’s parliamentary election. The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes, far exceeding the minimum 288 needed. The political standoff has unsettled financial markets, with borrowing costs rising sharply amid fears of prolonged instability.