It will be hard for Paraguay to rejoin Mercosur and Unasur before next year's presidential election, Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said Oct. 23, Mercopress reported.

Venezuela expelled four Paraguayan diplomats, giving them 72 hours to leave the country, an official at the Paraguayan Embassy in Caracas said Oct. 17, El Universal reported.

Paraguay will begin exploring for hydrocarbons in the country's Chaco region in December 2013, an oil consultant said Oct. 17 after meeting Oct. 16 with President Federico Franco, Mercopress reported.