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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, November 7th 2025 - 23:10 UTC

Politics

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 21:02 UTC

    Uruguay makes payment to Spanish shipyard for construction of two OPVs

    The deal for the OPVs with Cardama has had its ups and downs but it appears now to have advanced to the next stage

    The Uruguayan Government this week made a US$ 8.4 million payment to the Spanish shipyard Cardama as the first installment for the construction of two new ocean patrol vessels (OPVs) agreed upon in July last year. The process has since been questioned and one Uruguayan Navy Admiral even retired from active duty amid the controversy.

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 09:31 UTC

    Former Latin American foreign ministers stand up for international law

    Uruguay's Rodolfo Nin Novoa was among the signatories

    A total of 38 former Latin American foreign ministers published Thursday a Manifesto warning about “the collapse of the international order” established after World War ii and insisted on the region's need to recover a leading role in global affairs.

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 09:15 UTC

    Argentina accepting other currencies besides pesos

    The measure is however optional; pesos remain the legal tender

    Effective Friday, Argentines will be allowed to fill out price tags in the currency of their choice (most likely US dollars), the Central Bank (BCRA) announced Thursday, in what has been regarded as a first step towards the dollarization of the economy, one of President Javier Milei's electoral promises.

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 08:57 UTC

    Argentina to blend Montevideo diplomatic missions into one

    The measure seeks to cut annual spending by about 2 million US dollars

    Argentine President Javier Milei's “chainsaw” policies reached the South American country's diplomatic efforts: After recalling Ambassador Martín García Moritán from Uruguay citing “service reasons,” Buenos Aires announced it would be unifying its presence in Montevideo under one single Ambassador who would also be representing the country before the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

  • Friday, January 17th 2025 - 08:47 UTC

    South Georgia Island, 250th Anniversary of British Possession, led by the great navigator James Cook

    The stamp issue commemorates Possession itself and the start of South Georgia’s 250-year journey from obscurity to the modern age. 

    On the 17th of January 1775, English Captain James Cook landed at Possession Bay in South Georgia Island. While his vessel HMS Resolution sat at anchor in the bay, Cook went ashore, hoisted the British flag and performed the ceremony of taking possession of the island, in the name of King George III and his heirs.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 22:03 UTC

    Bolsonaro denied passport to attend Trump's inauguration

    Once again De Moraes ruled against returning Bolsonaro his passport

    Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes deemed former President Jair Bolsonaro a flight risk and refused to return his passport, which the retired Army captain needed to attend Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington DC on Jan. 20. Bolsonaro is under investigation in various cases and had been ordered to surrender his travel document.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 20:26 UTC

    Bolivian Environment Minister sacked amid corruption probe

    Lisperguer owned nine properties when he had declared just one in his affidavit

    Alan Lisperguer was sacked Wednesday as Bolivia's Minister of Environment and Water after the Institutional Transparency and Fight against Corruption Vice Ministry detected his involvement in illicit enrichment plus a submission of a false affidavit. The investigation had been triggered by suspicious bank deposits, irregular movements, and a disproportionate increase in Lisperguer's assets. The case was now brought before the Public Prosecutor's Office.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 14:10 UTC

    Baroness Chapman in Santiago and Punta Arenas strengthens links with Chile and partnership in Antarctica

    Baroness Chapman of Darlington with Admiral Jorge Castillo, Commander Mark Vartan, Ambassador de Sousa and military attaché Captain Liz Hutchson

    Economic growth, trade, climate, science and gender equality were high on the agenda in Santiago and Punta Arenas last week, as UK Minister for Latin America, Baroness Jenny Chapman visited Chile for the first time.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 10:14 UTC

    Argentina recalls Ambassador in Montevideo due to “service reasons”

    García Moritán had been appointed in February last year under then-Foreign Minister Diana Mondino

    Ambassador Martín García Moritán has been removed from the Argentine mission in the Uruguayan capital and ordered back to Buenos Aires, according to Presidential Decree 29/2025 published Wednesday in the Official Gazette. The measure was adopted barely over a month before President-elect Yamandú Orsi's March 1 inauguration. The career diplomat had been appointed on Feb. 19, 2024.

  • Thursday, January 16th 2025 - 10:13 UTC

    Ceasefire agreed upon between Israel and Hamas

    Only 94 of the hostages are believed to still be alive

    Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas agreed on a 42-day ceasefire to come into effect on Sunday in Gaza, during which some Israeli hostages will be released -dead or alive- in exchange for convicted terrorists serving their sentences in Tel Aviv's correctional system.