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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, March 12th 2026 - 05:59 UTC

Stories for February 20th 2026

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 12:13 UTC

    Uruguay foreign minister Lubetkin grilled over Venezuela, China–Taiwan wording and US visas

    The hearing lasted about five hours and also covered the handling of the Mercosur–European Union and Mercosur–Singapore agreements, as well as President Yamandú Orsi’s recent trip to China

    Uruguay’s foreign minister Mario Lubetkin appeared before Parliament’s Permanent Commission after an opposition-led interpellation focused on the government’s stance on Venezuela, a Taiwan-related line included in a joint statement with China, and the lack of clarity over US immigration-visa restrictions affecting Uruguay.

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 09:51 UTC

    UK begins implementation of Electronic Travel Administration for visitors

    If you're travelling on a non-British passport, you'll now need an ETA before you travel. Without a valid ETA, you won't be allowed to board transport to the UK.

    The UK is transitioning to a digital immigration system. These reforms are designed to enhance security, reduce reliance on physical documents, and streamline the traveller experience through automated checks undertaken by carriers against Home Office records. Effective 25 February 2026:

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 04:02 UTC

    Argentina’s lower house backs Milei labour reform bill without article 44

    The bill passed the chamber with 135 votes in favour and 115 against, with no abstentions, according to local reports

    Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies approved President Javier Milei’s “labour modernisation” bill on Thursday, but with a last-minute change that removed article 44, one of the proposal’s most disputed provisions. Because the text was amended, it must return to the Senate for a final vote, a timetable the government wants completed ahead of the March 1 opening of the ordinary congressional session.

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 03:43 UTC

    Christine Lagarde: International order is “in danger”

    Without naming President Donald Trump, Lagarde argued that Washington started to lose confidence that the rules worked in its favor

    European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde warned on Thursday in New York that the international order is “in danger” because the United States has begun to doubt the rules-based system it long supported, in remarks delivered as she received Columbia University’s Wolfgang Friedmann Memorial Award.

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 03:41 UTC

    Venezuela passes unanimous amnesty law, excluding armed actions and serious crimes

    Rights group Foro Penal has said that, despite recent releases, hundreds of people remain imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela.

    Venezuela’s National Assembly unanimously approved an amnesty law on Thursday aimed at covering people prosecuted or convicted in political-crisis episodes between 2002 and 2025, a measure lawmakers said is designed to speed releases and close related court cases. The bill was sent to the Miraflores presidential palace for enactment and would take effect once formally published.