Well Swords are considered to be good beginner plants that are low to moderate light and won't require any c02 injecting. Swords do however require a good source of iron in the substrate. You can either get some root tabs or use a layer of laterite below your sand bed. Once they get going though, they look pretty nice! The Java Fern on the other hand are less demanding than the Swords and (I think) you can just get away with dosing with ferts and using low lights. I've seen some striking driftwood with some Anubias species attached to them. I personally like the Anubias Nana and/or Java Fern on the DW. You can tie them on there with some translucent fishing line until the roots grow attached to the wood on their own. Maybe get creative with some Java Moss to cover the roots and fishing line... I dunno, just some suggestions!
BTW, what are you thinking in terms of stocking for a S. American biotope?