Uruguay

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 19:21 UTC

  Uruguay former president calls on Latam to advance in agreements with the US

  

  “The time for rhetoric exercises has run out”, said Uruguayan former president Tabare Vazquez during a presentation before the Latin American Studies Association, LASA, in Washington where he emphasized the need for Latinamerican countries to advance in agreements with the United States.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 17:49 UTC

  Uruguay ‘can’t ignore (Mercosur) reality’ and is applying for full Pacific Alliance membership

  

  Vice-president and acting president Danilo Astori strongly defended the Uruguayan government’s intention of joining the Pacific Alliance, next to Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico, claiming that Mercosur has fallen into a state of ‘inactivity’ but also rejected point blank statements from Brazilian diplomacy contrary to such a move.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 12:19 UTC

  Two Chinese jiggers quarantined 12 kilometres off Montevideo following mysterious deaths

  

  Two Chinese jiggers are in quarantine 12 kilometres off the port of Montevideo following the death of two crew members and the hospitalization of another two in separate incidents.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 08:05 UTC

  Inflation in Uruguay falls for the fourth month running but still above target

  

  Consumer prices in Uruguay during May increased 0.32% and 8.06% in the last twelve months which is still above the annual top target range of 6%, but on the positive side for the fourth month running inflation has been decreasing, according to the latest release from the stats office INE.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 07:56 UTC

  Falklands: Uruguay lawmaker calls for direct links with ‘kelpers’ and a change in government’s policy

  

  Lawmaker Jaime Trobo invited his peers in the Lower House to review the Uruguayan government’s position regarding the Malvinas Islands and without questioning Argentine sovereignty, establish close trade and human links with the Islanders, as in the past, eliminating the ‘sanitary ring’ imposed by the current Argentine government.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 07:00 UTC

  Mujica calls on Spain for a more active role in the EU/Mercosur trade discussions

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica called on Spain for a more decisive role in the trade and cooperation agreement discussions between Mercosur and the European Union which have been going on for over a decade.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 05:07 UTC

  Uruguayan forestry company buys turbines for a 90 MW wind farm

  

  Denmark’s Vestas Wind Systems wind-turbine maker received a 90-megawatt turbine order from Compañia Forestal Uruguaya SA for the Pintado power plant in south centre Uruguay. The 30 3-megawatt turbines project will be serviced by the company for 15 years and the farm is expected to be operational by the second quarter of next year.

• Monday, June 3rd 2013 - 18:04 UTC

  Uruguay’s president cancels last leg of European tour on medical advice

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica, 78, cancelled the last leg of his European visit, Italy, saying he was exhausted and suffering from jet-lag. He has been in the road since May 22, with a first official three-day visit to China, later to Spain, the Vatican and to Galicia and the Basque country, from where his family came.

• Monday, June 3rd 2013 - 17:47 UTC

  Uruguay is Latinamerica’s most gay-friendly country and ranks tenth worldwide

  

  Uruguay was deemed the friendliest toward gay in Latinamerica and among the top countries in the world, according to the latest Spartacus International Gay Travel Index which ranks 139 countries worldwide.

• Monday, June 3rd 2013 - 07:15 UTC

  Francis and Mujica full of praise for each other share 45 minutes in the Vatican

  

  “The Pope is very pleased for having met with a wise man”, was the official report from the Holy See following the 45 minute private audience of Francis with Uruguayan president Jose Mujica, the longest so far with a head of state. Although Mujica is a declared atheist and did not attend the inauguration of the first Latinamerican pope last March, he did request an interview with Francis, which took place on Saturday.