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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, August 11th 2026 - 20:59 UTC

Investments

  • Sunday, May 17th 2026 - 13:48 UTC

    Brazil leads South America's military spending and Uruguay posts one of the largest relative rises, SIPRI says

    The most striking data point in the region corresponds to Uruguay, which moved to a military budget of USD 577.2 million in 2025, an increase of nearly 80% in five years.

    Brazil consolidated its position as South America's leading defense spender during 2025, with a military budget of approximately USD 23.9 billion and a 13% year-on-year increase, while Uruguay recorded one of the steepest relative rises in the region, according to the annual report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released on Saturday. The region as a whole increased its military spending by 3.4% compared with 2024, in line with a global trend of armed forces modernization, open conflicts, and growing geopolitical tensions.

  • Friday, May 8th 2026 - 02:14 UTC

    United States imposes new sanctions on Cuban military conglomerate GAESA amid escalating pressure

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new package of sanctions against the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), the conglomerate linked to the Cuban Armed Forces that controls approximately 40% of the island's economy, in a fresh escalation of the economic pressure deployed by the Trump administration against the Havana regime. The measure is part of the implementation of Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, which authorizes sanctions against those responsible for political repression and threats to US national security.

  • Friday, May 1st 2026 - 12:12 UTC

    Pentagon seals artificial intelligence agreements with seven tech giants

    The Pentagon noted in a statement that these alliances “accelerate the transformation toward establishing United States Armed Forces with AI at the center of their way of war”

    The United States Department of War announced the signing of agreements with seven leading technology companies to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into classified operational environments. The contracts, which include SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Reflection, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services, seek to consolidate Washington's military technological leadership.

  • 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 - 11:35 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.

  • Tuesday, April 21st 2026 - 23:14 UTC

    New York court rules in favor of Uruguayan fintech dLocal, dismisses investor class action

    dLocal, founded in Uruguay, specializes in processing payments in emerging markets and listed on the Nasdaq in June 2021

    The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court unanimously upheld the dismissal of a class action lawsuit filed by investors against Uruguayan fintech dLocal and the investment banks involved in its 2021 initial public offering, finding no material omissions in the information the company disclosed before the IPO.

  • Tuesday, April 21st 2026 - 18:17 UTC

    Paraguay attracts record foreigners with low taxes and new investor residency program

    Paraguay consolidated over recent decades a simplified tax structure known as “10-10-10”: 10% VAT, 10% personal income tax and 10% corporate income tax.

    Foreign residency applications in Paraguay surged 85% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 18,071 compared to 9,760 in the same period of 2025, the National Migration Directorate reported. Temporary residency requests jumped 105% to 14,995, while permanent residency applications rose 25% to 3,076.

  • Wednesday, April 15th 2026 - 10:20 UTC

    Uruguay bets on international integration to attract investment amid global uncertainty

    The IMF cut its growth forecast for Uruguay from 2.4% to 1.8% for 2026, matching the 2025 rate, as part of a global revision triggered by the conflict in Iran

    Uruguay's government responded on Tuesday to the International Monetary Fund's latest projections with a strategy centered on trade openness and investment attraction. Deputy Economy and Finance Minister Martín Vallcorba acknowledged the world is going through “a moment of great uncertainty” driven by the Middle East war, but said the country is working to create “positive and favorable conditions for investment and growth.”

  • Thursday, April 9th 2026 - 01:13 UTC

    Latin America faces fertilizer vulnerability; IICA and TFI agree joint plan amid Hormuz crisis

    Global fertilizer supply chain faces simultaneous pressures: Chinese restrictions on phosphate exports, US tariffs that reduced nutrient imports, and the disruption of transit through Hormuz

    The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the U.S.-based Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced a partnership to secure fertilizer supply across the Americas, amid logistical disruptions and price volatility worsened by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war between the United States, Israel and Iran.

  • Tuesday, April 7th 2026 - 21:06 UTC

    “Has anyone talked about democracy? No”: OEI secretary criticizes Trump's oil-driven approach to Venezuela

    The Trump administration has implemented a series of measures to facilitate US investment in Venezuela's energy sector

    The secretary general of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), Mariano Jabonero, said that US President Donald Trump's primary interest in Venezuela is energy-related and has nothing to do with promoting democratic values or civilization.