Paraguay Out, Venezuela In: What Do Mercosur’s Changes Mean for Brazil?
Late last month, the Mercosur alliance met, suspended Paraguay and ushered in Venezuela as a full member in almost as little time as it took the Paraguayan congress to impeach their former president, Fernando Lugo, the preceding week. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’ bid to join the South American trade bloc had spent the past three years languishing in the Paraguayan congress, where lawmakers cited fears that Venezuela … Read more
Brazil and Paraguay: Powerful Neighbors, Complicated Relationships
Today’s Mercosur presidential meeting, in Mendoza, Argentina, is getting rather more international attention than it likely anticipated. Previously expected to be little more than tussling over tariffs and a perfunctory discussion of fiscal woes in Europe, the focus now will be Fernando Lugo’s sudden removal from the Paraguayan presidency last Friday. Although Paraguay claimed to … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
Dear Subscribers: In anticipation of the relaunch of AS/COA Online, the Weekly Roundup will take a summer break. Look for a revamped version of the Roundup by Fall 2012. Paraguay’s Presidential Impeachment Causes Outcry On June 22, Paraguay’s Congress impeached President Fernando Lugo after a land conflict earlier in the month that left 17 dead. Lugo … Read more
Argentina Suspends Automobile Trade Agreement with Mexico
Yesterday the Argentine government announced it would suspend the Acuerdo de Complementación Económica (Economic Complementation Agreement, also known as ACE-55) with Mexico for three years, discontinuing tariff preferences in the automotive sector for the latter. The agreement was suspended following Brazil and Mexico’s agreement in March of this year to limit their trade in automobiles … Read more
Should Paraguay be Expelled from the OAS, Mercosur and Unasur?
Last Friday, the Congress of Paraguay removed President Fernando Lugo from office. The entire impeachment process lasted a mere two days. The presidents of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina rushed to describe this as a “coup d’état,” while the Brazilian and Uruguayan presidents have called for Paraguay’s expulsion from Mercosur and Unasur due to … Read more
Monday Memo: [i]AQ[/i]’s Top Expected Stories for the Week of June 25
Top stories this week are likely to include: effect of Fernando Lugo’s impeachment; Supreme Court verdict on Arizona’s immigration law; Mexico elects a new government; Julian Assange’s asylum request to Ecuador; and Mercosur summit in Argentina. Backlash to Lugo’s Ouster: After former Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo was impeached last Friday by the opposition-dominated legislature in … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Clock Ticks Down on Rio+20 The UN Conference on Sustainable Development—known as Rio+20—adopted … Read more
Monday Memo: [i]AQ[/i]’s Top Expected Stories for the Week of June 18
Top stories this week are likely to include: G-20 economic summit in Los Cabos; Rio+20 conference on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro; the hemisphere reacts to Obama’s immigration policy shift; South Korea’s president and China’s premier embark on separate Latin America tours; and Humala’s approval hits a new low. G-20 Summit Kicks Off in … Read more
Survey Finds Corruption in Latin America Declining
Survey results released yesterday suggest corruption in Latin America has abated slightly due to stronger corporate ethics rules and enforcement of anti-corruption laws in the region. Miller & Chevalier and Matteson Ellis Law’s 2012 Latin America Corruption Survey, completed by 439 respondents in 14 countries, found that Chile and Uruguay are perceived to be the … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Rio+20 Kicks off in Brazil The United States Conference on Sustainable Development—known as … Read more
Same-Sex Marriage in Chile
Marriage equality for same-sex couples is gaining new momentum in the United States. One month ago, President Obama announced that “same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Meanwhile, major multinational corporations and top consumer brands are also coming out in favor of marriage equality. In February, Proposition 8, a voter referendum that reversed marriage … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
OAS General Assembly Weighs Defense, Human Rights The Organization of American States (OAS) 42nd General Assembly took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia, from June 2 to 5. Delegates from throughout the hemisphere met to discuss food security as well as reforming the OAS human rights system. Countries from the Bolivarian Alliance bloc argued that the Inter-American … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
Peru Declares State of Emergency amid Mining Protests The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency yesterday in the southeastern province of Espinar after a week of protests left at least two dead and 70 injured. Espinar residents are protesting a $1.5 billion expansion of the Tintaya copper mine, claiming that the mine’s Swiss owner … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. U.S. Visa for Castro’s Daughter Stirs Controversy Last week, Cuban President Raúl Castro’s … Read more
Latin America Needs More Cultural Exchanges with China
A couple of weeks ago, a small but evocative display of 30 abstract sculptures, paintings and engravings by artist Manuel Felguérez opened in the stunning boomerang-shaped museum designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki for Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts. The exhibition of recent works by Felguérez, one of the most prominent members of the … Read more
