Venezuela

• Friday, July 12th 2013 - 08:16 UTC

  Mercosur will lift Paraguay’s suspension next August 15, announced Uruguay

  

  This coming August 15, Mercosur will lift the suspension on Paraguay's participations that has held since June 29 2012, Uruguay Minister Luis Almagro announced on Thursday during a meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in Montevideo.

• Thursday, July 11th 2013 - 07:26 UTC

  Summit in Montevideo could further expose the fragility of a Mercosur turned political

  

  President-elect Horacio Cartes will not make any comments on the ongoing dispute of Paraguay with Mercosur until after the group’s summit in Uruguay next Friday, when official decisions on the subject are expected to be made public. However for both sides any decision will most probably be challenging and ratify that Mercosur has become a political group far from its original trade and investment purposes.

• Wednesday, July 10th 2013 - 06:09 UTC

  Mercosur and Paraguay on collision course; Uruguay insists Venezuela will hold the chair of the group

  

  Paraguay reiterated on Tuesday that if Venezuela assumes as pro termpore chair of Mercosur, it is not interested in returning to the group and discarded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledge to ensure Paraguay is fully reincorporated.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  Venezuela confirms Snowden asylum application: he has to decide when

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said his government has received an asylum application from US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden and the fugitive must now decide if he wants to fly to Caracas.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 01:50 UTC

  Paraguay not interested in Mercosur if Venezuela holds the chair, says top official

  

  Paraguay called for practical sense from its Mercosur partners Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to try and overcome the current impasse which could lead to a rift if Venezuela occupies the chair of the group at this week’s summit in Montevideo. Paraguay does not recognize Venezuela’s full membership because it was decided in its absence.

• Saturday, July 6th 2013 - 07:16 UTC

  Venezuela and Nicaragua prepared to offer ‘humanitarian asylum’ to Snowden

  

  Presidents Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela said Friday they were willing to grant asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The NSA whistleblower has asked for asylum in several countries, including Nicaragua and Venezuela.

• Friday, June 28th 2013 - 12:26 UTC

  Petrocaribe: Central America and the Caribbean’s Energy Dilemma

  

  In the eve of the Managua summit which will focus on creating a new Economic Zone, Petrocaribe, the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s oil treaty, continues to play a vital role in the economic development of its 18 member states from the Central America and Caribbean region. But given the current political and economic climate in Venezuela, the question remains if Petrocaribe’s cheap oil is sustainable?

• Wednesday, June 26th 2013 - 22:12 UTC

  Venezuela main purchaser of weapons in 2012, but Brazil has largest defence budget

  

  The defence industry is booming in Latin America amid economic growth and greater concerns regarding national security, said the renowned security and defence consultancy firm IHS Jane's. Imports of weapons soared 16% in the subcontinent in 2008-2012, climbing from 3.42 billion to 3.96 billion dollars annually, the firm said in a report called “The Balance of Trade.”

• Tuesday, June 25th 2013 - 06:20 UTC

  Maduro warns that extended corruption “could devour” the motherland and the revolution

  

  Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro warned on Monday that corruption will “gobble the motherland” unless there is a tough frontal fight, and underlined that no Socialist or ‘revolutionary’ can be corrupt.

• Tuesday, June 18th 2013 - 02:25 UTC

  To silence rationing rumours, Venezuela announces 760.000 tons of imported food is on the way

  

  Venezuela is awaiting the arrival of 760.000 tons of food from different associated countries and which are destined to build a national reserve of food, according to Food Minister Felix Osorio. The announcement follows strong suggestions that rationing of certain food and toiletry items was in the pipeline.