Category Archives: Mercosur/Mercosul

Post-Election Paraguay – Is a Return to Mercosur Next?

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

After the institutional coup against Fernando Lugo last June, politico-economic trade bloc Mercosur suspended Paraguay’s membership. The response was swift, and Horacio Cartes, who at the time was a potential candidate for president, called on Paraguay to maintain faith in … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Brazil, International Relations, Latin American Economic Relations, Latin American Foreign Relations, LGBT Rights & Issues, Mercosur/Mercosul, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela

Early Thoughts on Paraguay’s Elections

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

Yesterday, Paraguay held its first presidential elections since the ouster of democratically elected Fernando Lugo last year, and as expected, Horacio Cartes won with over a million votes (45.8%), defeating runner-up Liberal Party candidate Efrain Alegre, who finished with over … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Elections in Latin America, Governance in Latin America, Inequalities in the Americas, Land Struggles & Issues, Latin American Economic Relations, Latin American Politics, LGBT Rights & Issues, Mercosur/Mercosul, Paraguay

Around Latin America

Posted on November 24, 2012 by

-In a potential step towards addressing human rights, Mexico has announced it will move to prosecute military officials accused of human rights violations in civil courts, rather than in secretive military tribunals. Traditionally, military officials who are involved in the drug … Continue reading →

Posted in Amnesty, Around Latin America, Bolivia, Brazil, Citizenship, Civil Conflict in the Americas, Colombia, Development in Latin America, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionárias de Colombia (FARC), Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Impunity, Indigenous Peoples, Judaism in Latin America, Land Struggles & Issues, Latin American Economies, Mercosur/Mercosul, Mexico, Police in the Americas, Police Violence, Prisoners' Rights, Race in the Americas, São Paulo, Venezuela, Violence in the Americas

Around Latin America

Posted on September 13, 2012 by

-In Chile, protests erupted as the country commemorated the 39th anniversary of the military coup that overthrew democratically-elected president Salvador Allende. The protests turned violent, however, leaving one officer dead and at least 255 people under arrest. -After conflicting reports of … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Argentina's Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), Around Latin America, Augusto Pinochet, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Favelas, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Indigenous Peoples, Jamaica, Labor in Latin America, Latin America, Latin American Economic Relations, Mercosur/Mercosul, Paraguay, Peru, Police Violence, Protests in Latin America, Religion in Latin America, Rio de Janeiro, Student Movements, The "Disappeared", Torture, Venezuela, Violence in the Americas

Around Latin America

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

-The fallout of Paraguay’s suspension from Mercosur continues to create political ripples. This week, Paraguayan Defense Minister Maria Liz Garcia said the country “need[s] to prepare for war to live in peace.” In clear reference to Paraguay’s position in the War of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Latin America, Augusto Pinochet, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Democracy in the Americas, Ecuador, Education in the Americas, Elections in Latin America, Evangelicals in Latin America, Guatemala, Guatemala's Civil War, Haiti, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Land Struggles & Issues, Latin American Politics, Mercosur/Mercosul, Mexico, Paraguay, Religion in Latin America, The "Disappeared"

On the Benefits (or “Benefits”) of Mercosur

Posted on August 8, 2012 by

An Argentine study suggests Brazil is the only country to have generated a surplus via Mercosur. However, the report does not necessarily paint the picture of Brazil-as-bully. Rather, Orlando Ferres argues, The Brazilian [sic] are far better organized that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Brazil, International Organizations, Latin American Economic Relations, Mercosur/Mercosul, Paraguay, Uruguay

Today in Patronizing and Insulting Characterizations of Latin America

Posted on July 26, 2012 by

I’ve often been mystified by the respect The Economist gets, exactly for reasons like this:  To revive economic growth, Brazil needs to put more stress on competitiveness and market-opening trade diplomacy. Mercosur once aspired to do precisely that. A group that … Continue reading →

Posted in Mercosur/Mercosul, Minutiae

Paraguay in the International Arena

Posted on July 23, 2012 by

Paraguay’s isolation in the international community continues to take curious turns as Paraguayan politicians and diplomats try to shape the direction of the country in the wake of Fernando Lugo’s removal. Federico Franco, the man who assumed the presidency after … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Coups in Latin America, Impeachment, Latin American Economic Relations, Latin American Politics, Latin American-U.S. Relations, Legal Issues in Latin America, Mercosur/Mercosul, Paraguay, United States

Mercosur and the Future of Paraguay’s Politics

Posted on July 17, 2012 by

Paraguay’s recent suspension from Mercosur is already having an effect on national politics in the South American country. Horacio Cartes is a potential candidate for the powerful Colorado Party that governed for over sixty years (and that played a central … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy in the Americas, Elections in Latin America, Latin American Economic Relations, Latin American Politics, Mercosur/Mercosul, Paraguay

Today in Non-Breaking News…

Posted on July 16, 2012 by

Fernando Henrique Cardoso is still a hack: Former Brazilian president Fernando Enrique Cardoso said that his country is rapidly loosing [sic] influence in South America to Venezuela, following on remarks about the suspension of Paraguay from Mercosur. “Brazil is loosing … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Latin American Politics, Mercosur/Mercosul, The "Left" in Latin America, The "Right" in Latin America