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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, March 3rd 2025 - 23:02 UTC

Stories for February 2025

  • Friday, February 14th 2025 - 14:06 UTC

    Pope Francis hospitalized with persistent bronchitis

    The Pope is likely to spend at least 5 days at the clinic

    Argentine-born Pope Francis was admitted Friday at Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic to receive medical attention for his persistent bronchitis.

  • Friday, February 14th 2025 - 11:54 UTC

    Uruguay’s outgoing President blocks invitations to Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba for Orsi’s inauguration

    The Frente Amplio argues that Uruguay should invite all countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, regardless of the nature of their governments.

    Uruguay’s outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou has refused to sign invitations for representatives from Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba to attend the inauguration of President-elect Yamandú Orsi on March 1. This decision, which follows Lacalle Pou’s longstanding stance against what he calls “dictatorial governments,” highlights a political divide between Uruguay’s current administration and the incoming leftist government.

  • Friday, February 14th 2025 - 10:37 UTC

    Argentina: Indec says January's inflation stood at 2.2%

    Milei's Libertarian government seeks to further reduce inflation through exchange rate control, wage policies, and fiscal anchors

    Argentina's inflation in January 2025 stood at 2.2%, down from 2.7% in December, the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) said in a report released Thursday, which also showed yoy values of 84.5%. January's was the lowest Consumer Price Index (CPI) since July 2020 - 1.9% amid the Covid-19 pandemic - and also the best under Javier Milei, who took office on Dec. 10, 2023. The President's best previous CPI was in November 2024 at 2.4%.

  • Friday, February 14th 2025 - 10:30 UTC

    CFK appeals her conviction for corruption

    While CFK seeks her acquittal, the prosecution would like her 6-year sentence doubled

    Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) Thursday filed an appeal to have her six-year prison sentence and lifelong disenfranchisement overturned. On the other side, the prosecution requested her sentence be upped to 12 years, citing illicit association in the “Vialidad” scandal regarding road works in the province of Santa Cruz.

  • Friday, February 14th 2025 - 10:28 UTC

    Details about Port of Asunción's future disclosed

    Construction is expected to start in two weeks with an opening scheduled for November this year

    Nuevo Mundo Entertainment SA Director Santiago Sosa explained Thursday the details of the redevelopment works undertaken at the Paraguayan capital's historic port. In an interview with an Asunción broadcaster, he explained that the project stemming from an agreement with the Government signed early last year will include the recovery and modernization of the facility's four sheds, converting them into a multifunctional space with commercial premises, open-air stages, and a large-capacity events center.

  • Friday, February 14th 2025 - 10:24 UTC

    Body of fallen Uruguayan soldier arrives in Montevideo

    “The last thing he told us was that he loved us,” the soldier's widow admitted

    The remains of Uruguayan soldier Rodolfo Cipriano Álvarez Suárez, who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) earlier this month while deployed on the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping MONUSCO mission, arrived in Montevideo on Thursday. A ceremony was held at Air Base No. 1, attended by President Luis Lacalle Pou and Ministers Armando Castaingdebat (Defense) and Omar Paganini (Foreign Affairs), among other high-ranking officials.

  • Friday, February 14th 2025 - 10:13 UTC

    Uruguay tops Transparency International regional rankings

    Criminal organizations exploit the region's weak institutions, the 2024 report found. Photo: Sebastián Astorga

    With a score of 76 points, Uruguay topped Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for the Americas - 2024 issue - released earlier this week. Amid widespread regional declines, Uruguay outperformed Canada and Barbados thanks to robust democratic institutions, high transparency, strong citizen participation, and effective environmental governance. This achievement came during President Luis Lacalle Pou's last month in office. Starting March 1, he will be succeeded by Yamandú Orsi, of the opposition Broad Front (Frente Amplio - FA).

  • Thursday, February 13th 2025 - 20:17 UTC

    Brazilian scientists find enzyme that can transform waste into biofuel

    “This discovery changes the paradigm of cellulose degradation in nature,” Murakami explained

    Scientists at Brazil's National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have discovered a biocatalyst called CelOCE (Cellulose Oxidative Cleaving Enzyme) stemming from a soil bacteria, which can transform waste into biofuel. The enzyme, isolated from bacteria found in sugarcane bagasse, enhances the breakdown of cellulose, increasing glucose release by up to 21%. The study showing these findings was published Thursday in the journal Nature.

  • Thursday, February 13th 2025 - 19:49 UTC

    Uruguay: Possible slave-like conditions for Chinese company workers under investigation

    Díaz criticized business sectors nostalgic of the 1990s when there was little to no collective bargaining and almost no labor protection

    Uruguay's National Union of Construction and Related Industries (Sunca) Secretary-General Javier Díaz said the rate of labor accidents nationwide has worsened over the past five years and blamed the departing administration of President Luis Lacalle Pou for this, amid waning collective wage bargaining conditions and high unemployment and informality.

  • Thursday, February 13th 2025 - 15:19 UTC

    Falklands, Korean jigger refloated and heading with support for Stanley

    BFSAI tug Dintelstroom, FPV Lilibet and Byron Marine Chief Pilot were involved in the de-grounding of the Korean jigger

    Following a multi-agency operation extending over several days in the Falkland Islands, the Korean flagged jigger 107 Eun Hae was re-floated just before 09:00 Thursday morning, with no injuries and no apparent pollution.