Uruguay and Argentina presidents Jose Mujica and Cristina Fernandez seem to have ironed out differences, at least in public and in the pictures, during the inauguration of a gasoline and diesel de-sulphuring plant in Montevideo, which was financed with Venezuelan funds and Argentine technology.
Paraguay’s newly inaugurated president Horacio Cartes will be attending the Unasur summit (Union of South American Nations), scheduled for the end of the month in Paramaribo, Suriname, when most probably he will ‘come across’ with his Venezuelan peer Nicolas Maduro, announced the Paraguayan foreign ministry. Paraguay and Venezuela currently have no diplomatic links.
Conservative businessman Horacio Cartes was sworn in as president of Paraguay on Thursday, amid slowly improving relations with South American neighbors, and Mercosur members, damaged by the 2012 removal of populist President Fernando Lugo, who was impeached on incompetence.
Most presidents and top authorities that will attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Horacio Cartes on Thursday morning arrived in Asunción on Wednesday and most of them have already held private meetings with the future leader of the country.
Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro appointed the third central bank president this year as Latin America’s biggest oil exporter seeks to rein in the fastest inflation among the world’s major economies.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez confirmed by writing that she would be attending the inauguration of Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes next Thursday 15 August, according the organization committee of the event in Asuncion, Ambassador Federico Gonzalez and head of Protocol at the Paraguayan foreign ministry.
Venezuela consumer prices last month rose at the fastest pace since the index was created in 2008 amid worsening shortages of staple goods such as meat, sugar and milk. Prices rose 42.6% in July from a year earlier and 3.2% in the month, the central bank said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Monday compared Hugo Chavez to Christ and said that the late president, just like Jesus, came to protect those who had nothing, in a tribute to the fallen leader on the fifth month anniversary of his death.
Venezuela is becoming a rough environment for those dissenting with the Bolivarian revolution: in the last few hours a leading Venezuelan opposition was killed and on Monday media group announced the suspension of activities following the freezing of bank accounts and arrest of the owner and publisher.
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff officially confirmed her attendance to the inauguration ceremony of Paraguayan president-elect Horacio Cartes next 15 August, according to the Transmission Committee that is coordinating the event