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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, February 3rd 2025 - 20:01 UTC

Stories for January 2025

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 09:15 UTC

    Argentina accepting other currencies besides pesos

    The measure is however optional; pesos remain the legal tender

    Effective Friday, Argentines will be allowed to fill out price tags in the currency of their choice (most likely US dollars), the Central Bank (BCRA) announced Thursday, in what has been regarded as a first step towards the dollarization of the economy, one of President Javier Milei's electoral promises.

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 08:57 UTC

    Argentina to blend Montevideo diplomatic missions into one

    The measure seeks to cut annual spending by about 2 million US dollars

    Argentine President Javier Milei's “chainsaw” policies reached the South American country's diplomatic efforts: After recalling Ambassador Martín García Moritán from Uruguay citing “service reasons,” Buenos Aires announced it would be unifying its presence in Montevideo under one single Ambassador who would also be representing the country before the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 08:47 UTC

    South Georgia Island, 250th Anniversary of British Possession, led by the great navigator James Cook

    The stamp issue commemorates Possession itself and the start of South Georgia’s 250-year journey from obscurity to the modern age. 

    On the 17th of January 1775, English Captain James Cook landed at Possession Bay in South Georgia Island. While his vessel HMS Resolution sat at anchor in the bay, Cook went ashore, hoisted the British flag and performed the ceremony of taking possession of the island, in the name of King George III and his heirs.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 22:03 UTC

    Bolsonaro denied passport to attend Trump's inauguration

    Once again De Moraes ruled against returning Bolsonaro his passport

    Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes deemed former President Jair Bolsonaro a flight risk and refused to return his passport, which the retired Army captain needed to attend Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington DC on Jan. 20. Bolsonaro is under investigation in various cases and had been ordered to surrender his travel document.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 20:26 UTC

    Bolivian Environment Minister sacked amid corruption probe

    Lisperguer owned nine properties when he had declared just one in his affidavit

    Alan Lisperguer was sacked Wednesday as Bolivia's Minister of Environment and Water after the Institutional Transparency and Fight against Corruption Vice Ministry detected his involvement in illicit enrichment plus a submission of a false affidavit. The investigation had been triggered by suspicious bank deposits, irregular movements, and a disproportionate increase in Lisperguer's assets. The case was now brought before the Public Prosecutor's Office.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 14:10 UTC

    Baroness Chapman in Santiago and Punta Arenas strengthens links with Chile and partnership in Antarctica

    Baroness Chapman of Darlington with Admiral Jorge Castillo, Commander Mark Vartan, Ambassador de Sousa and military attaché Captain Liz Hutchson

    Economic growth, trade, climate, science and gender equality were high on the agenda in Santiago and Punta Arenas last week, as UK Minister for Latin America, Baroness Jenny Chapman visited Chile for the first time.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 14:04 UTC

    FMD case in Germany, UK bans all imports of meat and dairy from EU and EFTA

    UK Chief Veterinary Officer urges livestock keepers to remain vigilant to clinical signs of FMD following an outbreak in Germany. There are no cases in the UK currently.

    The UK Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), following a case being confirmed in Germany. This means the commercial import of cattle, pigs, sheep, deer, buffaloes and their products such as meat, and dairy from Germany will now be banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 13:48 UTC

    German economy shrinks second year running; lack of Russian gas and Chinese industry hit hard

    Formerly a major customer for cheap Russian gas, Germany has had to scramble to find other energy suppliers

    The German economy, the heart of European Union dynamism shrank by 0.2% in 2024, the second year in a row, according to Destatis, the German Federal Stats Office. In 2023, the German GDP, Europe’s largest contracted by 0,3%.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 10:14 UTC

    Argentina recalls Ambassador in Montevideo due to “service reasons”

    García Moritán had been appointed in February last year under then-Foreign Minister Diana Mondino

    Ambassador Martín García Moritán has been removed from the Argentine mission in the Uruguayan capital and ordered back to Buenos Aires, according to Presidential Decree 29/2025 published Wednesday in the Official Gazette. The measure was adopted barely over a month before President-elect Yamandú Orsi's March 1 inauguration. The career diplomat had been appointed on Feb. 19, 2024.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 10:13 UTC

    Ceasefire agreed upon between Israel and Hamas

    Only 94 of the hostages are believed to still be alive

    Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas agreed on a 42-day ceasefire to come into effect on Sunday in Gaza, during which some Israeli hostages will be released -dead or alive- in exchange for convicted terrorists serving their sentences in Tel Aviv's correctional system.