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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 23rd 2026 - 18:05 UTC

Economy

  • Thursday, March 26th 2026 - 18:37 UTC

    Uruguay: Economy Minister reveals daily U.S. pressure to break commercial ties with China

    The minister warned that if Uruguay does not comply with Washington's demands, its commercial relationship with the Trump administration “will not improve and could get worse”

    Uruguay's Economy Minister Gabriel Oddone disclosed to business leaders that the United States is exerting “unimaginable” and “unsustainable” pressure on the country to “break” its trade relationship with China, according to the weekly newspaper Búsqueda, citing several attendees at a private meeting with the Confederation of Business Chambers (CCE) held on Tuesday, March 24.

  • Wednesday, March 25th 2026 - 19:52 UTC

    Uruguay's economy grew 1.8% in 2025, falling short of official forecasts

    Economy Minister Gabriel Oddone acknowledged last week that economic activity is running below expectations and signaled a likely downward revision of 2026 growth projections, currently set at 2.2%

    Uruguay's economy grew 1.8% in 2025, according to national accounts data published by the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU). The result fell nearly a full percentage point below the 2.6% forecast included in the government's budget law and was also lower than the 2.5% estimated by the International Monetary Fund.

  • Tuesday, March 24th 2026 - 01:58 UTC

    Dollar falls and São Paulo stock exchange surges after Trump's truce signal with Iran

    The Ibovespa index on the B3 exchange rose 3.24% to close at 181,931 points, recovering Friday's 2.25% loss. At its peak, the index approached 183,000 points.

    Brazilian financial markets posted one of their best sessions of the year on Monday after President Donald Trump announced a five-day postponement of strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure, citing “productive conversations” with Tehran.

  • Tuesday, March 24th 2026 - 01:09 UTC

    Milei willing to send troops to the Middle East if requested by Trump

    Milei himself has described Iran as “our enemy,” citing the 1992 and 1994 attacks on the Israeli Embassy and the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires

    Argentine President Javier Milei's willingness to send troops to the Middle East if requested by the United States has fuelled growing concern in Argentina, a country that has historically maintained an equidistant stance on international conflicts and where fears of possible reprisals are emerging.

  • Monday, March 23rd 2026 - 01:00 UTC

    Paraguay and Germany seek to deepen trade ties under EU-Mercosur agreement

    “We have very good relations with Paraguay — everything is in place to work very well here,” Herrera said.

    Relations between Paraguay and Germany are at a positive juncture, with prospects for growth in trade, investment and tourism, according to German Deputy Ambassador in Asunción Jörg Herrera, in an interview with state broadcaster Paraguay TV.

  • Sunday, March 22nd 2026 - 21:32 UTC

    Peña promotes Paraguay as investment destination at meeting with Brazilian business leaders

    We met with business leaders who already invest in Paraguay and want to expand, but also with new players who see a concrete opportunity in our country,” Peña said

    Paraguay's President Santiago Peña met on Sunday in Campo Grande, the capital of Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state, with business leaders from the state's Federation of Industries (FIEMS) to promote investment opportunities in his country. The meeting, organized at the association's request, brought together representatives from sectors including bioenergy, food, construction and logistics.

  • Wednesday, March 18th 2026 - 22:56 UTC

    Argentina unemployment rises to 7.5% at end-2025, Indec says

    By region, Greater Buenos Aires posted the highest unemployment rate at 8.6%, followed by the Pampas region at 7.7%

    Argentina’s unemployment rate stood at 7.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from 6.4% in the same period of 2024 and from 6.6% in the previous quarter, according to data released on Wednesday by the national statistics agency, Indec. The employment rate was 45.0%, while the activity rate reached 48.6% across the 31 urban areas covered by the Permanent Household Survey.

  • Wednesday, March 18th 2026 - 22:44 UTC

    Brazil’s central bank starts easing cycle, cuts Selic rate to 14.75%

    The decision comes as Brazil combines softer inflation with signs of slower economic growth

    Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday cut the Selic benchmark rate from 15% to 14.75% a year, marking the first reduction since May 2024 and the formal start of an easing cycle that policymakers had already flagged. In its statement, the Monetary Policy Committee, or Copom, said the move was consistent with its strategy to bring inflation back to target and noted that the external environment had become “more uncertain” because of the intensification of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East.

  • Wednesday, March 18th 2026 - 11:12 UTC

    Government targets faster state processes with new economic reform package

    Oddone argued that the macroeconomic margin has already been largely exhausted and that the current bottlenecks lie in opaque price formation, slow procedures and overlapping controls

    Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi and Economy Minister Gabriel Oddone said the government will send a competitiveness and innovation bill to Congress on May 31, focused on foreign trade, competition policy, innovation and administrative simplification. The initiative was launched alongside a call for unions, business chambers and academia to submit proposals by April 24.

  • Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 03:00 UTC

    Noboa imposes curfew in four provinces of Ecuador deploys 75,000 personnel in new anti-crime offensive

    The new phase of Noboa’s plan also rests on emergency powers

    Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has launched a new security offensive with a nightly curfew in four violence-hit provinces and the deployment of 75,000 soldiers and police officers. The restriction runs from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, began on Sunday night and is expected to remain in force for two weeks. In the first hours of the operation, authorities reported 253 arrests for violating the measure.