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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 4th 2026 - 21:54 UTC

Stories for 2026

  • Thursday, April 23rd 2026 - 12:28 UTC

    Latin America's largest investment bank targets Uruguay as regional hub after acquiring local HSBC unit

    Founded in 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, the group is present in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru

    Brazilian group BTG Pactual, Latin America's largest investment bank, is awaiting authorisation from Uruguay's Central Bank (BCU) to begin operating in the local financial market following its $175 million acquisition of HSBC Uruguay, agreed in July 2025. Group executives expect regulatory approval to come through by mid-year, allowing them to begin operations gradually in the second half of 2026.

  • Thursday, April 23rd 2026 - 11:51 UTC

    Iran attacks ships in Hormuz as Trump extends ceasefire without conditions and faces domestic backlash

    Trump justified the extension by citing the need to give Iran's government, which he described as “seriously fractured,” time to submit a unified proposal.

    US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday without setting a deadline, hours before his own two-week truce was set to expire without a deal. The decision came as Iran attacked two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, with the White House declining to characterise the strikes as a ceasefire violation on the grounds that neither vessel was American or Israeli.

  • Thursday, April 23rd 2026 - 11:35 UTC

    Tech magnate Peter Thiel meets Milei after a week of private contacts with the Argentine government

    Thiel, whose fortune is estimated at over $23 billion, has spent at least a week in the Argentine capital. He is reported to have completed the purchase of a home in Buenos Aires

    Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir and PayPal and one of the most influential figures in the global technology sector, met with President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada on Thursday, official sources confirmed. The meeting, scheduled for 2:00 p.m., was the culmination of a week of reserved activity in Buenos Aires that included high-level contacts with key members of the Argentine government.

  • Thursday, April 23rd 2026 - 03:30 UTC

    Bullrich arrives in Uruguay criticising cannabis legalisation and calling for tougher security policy

    On security, Bullrich said Uruguay's homicide rate is inconsistent with the country's broader characteristics

    Argentine Senator Patricia Bullrich, former National Security Minister under President Javier Milei, will visit Montevideo this week to take part in the conference “Uruguay, future and youth: current challenges,” organised by the Manantiales Foundation at the World Trade Center. During her visit, Bullrich questioned the effectiveness of Uruguay's cannabis legalisation policy and said the country must reduce its homicide rate, which she described as high relative to the country's socioeconomic profile.

  • Thursday, April 23rd 2026 - 03:25 UTC

    European airlines cut flights and raise fares as Iran conflict fuels jet fuel crisis

    Lufthansa said the cuts would save approximately 40,000 metric tons of fuel. Reductions target routes operated from Frankfurt and Munich

    Lufthansa Group announced on Tuesday the cancellation of 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule through October, the most significant measure taken so far by a European airline in response to soaring jet fuel prices driven by the conflict in Iran. The decision is part of a broader trend reshaping European aviation ahead of the peak travel season.

  • Wednesday, April 22nd 2026 - 14:18 UTC

    Peru's electoral authority chief resigns as runoff still undecided ten days after first round

    The failures that triggered the crisis included delays of up to five hours in the opening of polling stations in the capital and the postponement of voting to the following day at thirteen locations

    Piero Corvetto resigned as head of Peru's National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) on Tuesday, ten days after the April 12 first-round presidential vote, amid judicial investigations and an institutional credibility crisis deepened by the logistical failures recorded during the election. The National Justice Board (JNJ) accepted the resignation unanimously.

  • Wednesday, April 22nd 2026 - 13:46 UTC

    Zero net migration would shrink UK GDP by 15% by 2060, Oxford Economics warns

    Lower economic growth would depress tax revenues, forcing successive governments into “harder decisions” such as expanding labour force participation among older people or raising the retirement age

    A long-term scenario of zero net migration would reduce the United Kingdom's economy by 15% by 2060 and limit GDP growth to an annual average of 0.9%, according to a report published on Wednesday by consultancy Oxford Economics. The study, which examines the impact of migration on British GDP and public finances, comes amid intense political polarisation over immigration controls.

  • Wednesday, April 22nd 2026 - 11:16 UTC

    Earth Day turns 55 with climate challenges still unresolved

    The institutional starting point was the UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972, which produced the first multilateral framework for environmental protection

    This April 22 marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, a date formally designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009 but rooted in 1970, when the environmental movement began to gain political traction in the United States and Europe. Half a century on, the global climate agenda has accumulated significant institutional advances, though commitments made continue to be debated in terms of their scope and implementation.

  • Wednesday, April 22nd 2026 - 10:57 UTC

    Chile closes ranks on Strait of Magellan sovereignty a week after Argentine admiral's remarks

    The head of Argentina’s Naval Hydrography Service had stated that “the mouth of the Strait of Magellan is Argentine,” a claim that Chile’s foreign minister described as “unfounded.”

    A week after remarks by Argentine Rear Admiral Hernán Montero on the eastern mouth of the Strait of Magellan went viral, the Chilean government has consolidated a unified stance in defense of its sovereignty, while internal debate has shifted toward the executive's handling of the communications response.

  • Wednesday, April 22nd 2026 - 09:17 UTC

    Falklands participating at the IAATO annual meeting at Annapolis, MD

    The Falklands representatives at the annual IAATO meeting

    A delegation of Falkland Islands representatives is currently attending the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, IAATO, Annual Meeting, (20/23 April), which also includes a Marketplace expo, at Annapolis, Maryland, United States