#PARAGUAY: Conservative Peña Wins Presidential Election

[world politics news]

Santiago Peña has won Paraguay’s election, returning the conservative Colorado Party to government after a tightly-contested campaign that had threatened to end its seven-decade hold on power.

The 44-year-old economist and former finance minister had 42.7 percent of the vote with more than 99 percent of ballots counted, a more than 15-point lead over centre-left rival Efrain Alegrem a 60-year-old lawyer from the Concertacion coalition, according to the electoral body.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#VENEZUELA: South American MERCOSUR Trade Group May Expel Venezuela

[world politics news]

The coordinators of MERCOSUR - a trade association consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela - may decide as early as Aug. 23 to expel Venezuela, which joined in 2012. A meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay will discuss legal sanctions on Venezuela, which self proclaimed itself the presidency of the group on July 30, and is also allegedly not complying with over 200 rules and regulations, requirements they agreed to when they joined. Venezuela could then lose its full member status.

Pictured: The flags of MERCOSUR’s five member-states: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela. 

PARAGUAY: Political Novice Horcio Cartes Elected President [world politics news]