
Uruguay's National Computer Security Incident Response Center (CERTUY) issued a report Monday in Montevideo stating that 14,264 attacks were reported last year, a significant increase from the 4,968 incidents in 2023. Most cases consisted of phishing, followed by unauthorized access to systems, malware installation, intrusion attempts, and proactive breaches of state systems.

The US State Department confirmed Monday that delays were still to be expected by Colombian nationals seeking a visa to travel to the United States after the incident between Presidents Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro over the weekend regarding two deportation flights.

Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Vladimir Putin of Russia held a telephone conversation Monday during which they discussed ongoing global affairs and reviewed the bilateral agenda. In addition, the South American leader accepted the invitation to attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow in May, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Both leaders also welcomed Indonesia's joining the BRICS group as a full member.

By Alejandro Werner (*) - The author thanks Ignacio Albe, Olivier Blanchard, Martina Copelman, Joseph Gagnon, José de Gregorio, Patrick Honohan, Douglas Irwin, Maurice Obstfeld, and other PIIE colleagues for their comments and suggestions.

Communication between British PM Keir Starmer cabinet and US President Donald Trump team seem very fluid, speaking like lifelong friends and buddies. That was what occurred on Monday when PM Starmer spoke to President Trump and on Sunday with Foreign Secretary David Lamy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In both cases the leaders agreed to meet soon.

Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa said her country's government had launched an investigation into the attack against Venezuela's Embassy in La Paz. From the Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia we strongly repudiate these vandalism acts that violate the rights and immunities of Venezuelan diplomats, she stressed in a statement published on social media.

Washington and Bogotá played cat-and-mouse this weekend after the Colombian leftwing Government Gustavo Petro refused to allow US military planes carrying deportees to land in the South American country. In response, President Donald Trump slapped 25% tariffs on all Colombian imports, after which Petro adopted a reciprocal measure.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro launched an appeal Sunday for leaders of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) to convene urgently to discuss the ongoing crisis sparked by US President Donald Trump's decision to speed up deportations.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry expressed its outrage after the US Government placed handcuffs on every member of a batch of 88 irregular migrants who were to be flown back to their country last Friday. Given this “degrading treatment,” it was announced at the Itammaraty Palace, the headquarters of South America's largest country's diplomacy, that the Government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was to remain attentive to the issue.

Various UN peacekeeping troops were killed this weekend in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the rebel M23 made territorial gains. One Uruguayan was among the dead and another was reported stable, albeit in a critical condition. Three others were wounded. In addition to the Uruguayan casualty, the UN troops also confirmed the killing of two South African soldiers. At least 13 peacekeepers fell last week.