Venezuela

• Wednesday, August 7th 2013 - 03:11 UTC

  ”Christ the Redeemer became flesh…in Hugo Chavez”, says President Maduro

  

  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.

• Wednesday, August 7th 2013 - 03:07 UTC

  Rough going in Venezuela: opposition leader killed; media group suspends activities

  

  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.

• Sunday, August 4th 2013 - 19:58 UTC

  Venezuela not invited to Paraguay-president inauguration; Rousseff confirms attendance

  

  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

• Thursday, August 1st 2013 - 04:09 UTC

  “Not even the Pope could bring Brazil and Paraguay together”, said O’Globo

  

  Influential Latin American newspapers have been extremely critical of Brazilian diplomacy in its unsuccessful attempts to ‘subdue Paraguay’, while at the same praising the landlocked country’s dignity in demanding from Mercosur respect and compliance with the rule of the law.

• Tuesday, July 23rd 2013 - 08:15 UTC

  Santos and Maduro agree to open a new chapter of neighbourly relations

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos on Monday agreed to turn the page on a diplomatic dispute triggered when Santos met with Venezuela's main opposition leader in May.

• Tuesday, July 23rd 2013 - 07:33 UTC

  China interested in developing agriculture in Venezuela’s 30 million hectares of land

  

  Venezuelan Vice-president Jorge Arreaza said that cooperation between China and Venezuela, which has been especially strong and beneficial in energy and technology, could be extended to include agriculture and land exploitation, an area of special interest for Beijing.

• Monday, July 22nd 2013 - 06:29 UTC

  Mercosur chair not interested in restoring normal relations with US

  

  Venezuela says it's ending talks with the United States to restore normal relations because Washington's UN ambassador-designate criticized its human rights record. Venezuela currently holds the chair of Mercosur.

• Thursday, July 18th 2013 - 09:08 UTC

  President-elect demands rule of the law before Paraguay returns as active Mercosur member

  

  Paraguayan president elect Horacio Cartes confirmed that his government will insist in its position regarding Mercosur, which expects Paraguay to return as full active member following the inauguration ceremony 15 August.

• Thursday, July 18th 2013 - 08:26 UTC

  Venezuelan parliament approves incorporation of Bolivia to Mercosur as full member

  

  The Venezuelan parliament approved Bolivia’s protocol of adherence to Mercosur as full member thus clearing the way for the landlocked mostly indigenous populated country to become the sixth member of the South American trade block next to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

• Tuesday, July 16th 2013 - 05:45 UTC

  Paraguay will hold Mercosur presidency in the first half of 2014, says Uruguay

  

  Paraguay will hold the rotating chair of Mercosur after Venezuela, at the end of this year, which will mark the full active comeback of the country to the regional block, announced Uruguay’s Foreign minister Luis Almagro on Monday in Montevideo.