
Argentina's clash with Uruguay over the Botnia/UPM pulp mill has led to furious retaliations from Buenos Aires severely limiting trade and not allowing Argentine exporters to make use of the port of Montevideo for transshipment.

The administration of President Cristina Fernandez is preparing a package of measures in an attempt to further impede the outflow of hard currency, mainly US dollars, for which it is planning to establish a double exchange rate system. The measures target tourism, a bill of 8 billion dollars which has become dearer than the energy deficit.

Argentina Secretary of Domestic Trade Guillermo Moreno anticipated that the current policy implementing obstacles to contain foreign trade will continue to promote the domestic market and production, and ”because I follow the orders from the President (Cristina Fernandez)”.

The Uruguayan government announced it has renewed until 2016 Botnia/UPM pulp mill license so it can continue with production since it complies with the necessary environmental requisites and is committed to the additional standards demanded, said Housing and Environment minister Francisco Beltrame.

Panama reaffirmed its support for Argentina and its sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands following on a complaint from Buenos Aires regarding a trip of Panamanian lawmakers to the Islands invited by the local government

A US appeals court said on Friday it would leave a freeze in place on an order requiring Argentina to pay 1.33 billion dollars to bondholders suing for full face repayment in the wake of the country’s 2002 default.

Former Paraguayan president Nicanor Duarte Frutos is scheduled to arrive this week in Buenos Aires where he will be taking the post of ambassador in Argentina one of the most politically important for the land-locked country.

Uruguay President José “Pepe” Mujica questioned Argentina’s recent decision to stop freight transfers at ports belonging to Mercosur countries Buenos Aires has no maritime agreements with. Mujica blasted an “insular” position that “shatters” regional integration.

Barrick, the world’s largest gold mining company, is indefinitely suspending construction of its troubled gold mine straddling the Chile-Argentine border, part of a cost-cutting effort that also involves 10 other mining projects around the world.

Uruguayan former president Jorge Batlle (2000/2005) said on Facebook that Argentina will again be a normal country when President Cristina Fernandez disappears from the political stage. And when this happens the Argentines are going to be happier and as a consequence so will we.