MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, August 1st 2025 - 23:10 UTC

Politics

  • Thursday, July 11th 2024 - 21:40 UTC

    Uruguay faces persistent fiscal deficit: Levels match end of previous administration

    The Ministry of Economy, led by Azucena Arbeleche (right), has explained that the unexpected drop in inflation, which ended 2023 at 5.1%, impacted fiscal revenues, particularly VAT collection

    The fiscal deficit in Uruguay has reached levels comparable to those at the end of the previous leftist Frente Amplio's administration, posing a significant challenge to the current government a few months before the next elections. The latest data, adjusted for extraordinary factors such as the pandemic, indicates that the consolidated fiscal deficit stands at 4.4% of GDP, mirroring the 2019 figures.

  • Thursday, July 11th 2024 - 19:46 UTC

    Colombian VP's car shot at; she was elsewhere

    Márquez urged the EMC guerrillas to “allow Cauca to live in peace and move forward”

    The car Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez usually rides was shot at Wednesday although the apparent target of the onslaught was not aboard at the time of the attack, it was reported from her native southwestern city of Suárez.

  • Thursday, July 11th 2024 - 12:25 UTC

    Argentine airline pilots announce strike against deregulation

    The measure has been announced with the winter school recess coming nearer

    Argentine airline pilots announced a strike for Friday, the last working day before the winter school break and judiciary recess, to protest against the decision of President Javier Milei's Government to open up the industry to foreign players through deregulation.

  • Thursday, July 11th 2024 - 11:29 UTC

    Milei blames lawmakers for the delays in his government's achievements

    The President spoke of “serial goofers” doing “their things” to keep the government off track by wanting to spend recklessly

    During his appearance at the celebrations of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange's 170th Anniversary, Argentine President Javier Milei warned that he would veto any initiative from Congress hindering his administration's fiscal balance and elaborated on what he believes to be the reasons for the so-called “blue” (a euphemism for “black market”) exchange rate between the local peso and the US dollar rising again.

  • Wednesday, July 10th 2024 - 20:24 UTC

    Barbed Wire in the Darien Jungle and Mass Repatriation: How the U.S. and Panama curb migration

    In an effort to manage the migratory flow, Panama has recently installed barbed wire barriers along the Darien Gap

    The United States and Panama have signed an agreement aimed at curbing the flow of migrants through the perilous Darien jungle. This agreement, part of broader efforts by President Joe Biden's administration, comes as a response to the surge in migration at the southern border, a key issue in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential elections in November.

  • Wednesday, July 10th 2024 - 11:43 UTC

    Milei rides tank through Independence Day parade

    Milei and Villarruel ride a newly-refurbished Argentine tank

    Argentine President Javier Milei and Vice President Victoria Villarruel rode an Army tank during the military parade celebrating the country's Independence Day along Buenos Aires' Libertador Avenue. Although this type of event has been rare, heads of state are usually saluted by passing troops instead of being a part of the attraction thousands cheered on both sides of the street despite the current economic plight.

  • Wednesday, July 10th 2024 - 11:17 UTC

    Paraguayan Senators said to harass newspeople and activists

    Senator Lizarella Valiente was one of the main political figures targeted by the newspeople grouping

    According to a statement from The Union of Journalists of Paraguay (SPP), several Senators in the South American country had allegedly harassed newspeople during Monday's session. Other entities grouping reporters were said to have issued concurring declarations whereby the lawmakers would have endangered freedom of expression.

  • Wednesday, July 10th 2024 - 10:55 UTC

    Panama's President favors joining Mercosur

    Mulino opened the door to a potential milestone for the Southern Common Market

    Argentine President Javier Milei's absence indeed highlighted the Southern Common Market's (Mercosur) Summit in Asunción. But only one week after his inauguration, attending the gathering was Panama's José Mulino, as his country is now eyeing its possible accession to Mercosur.

  • Wednesday, July 10th 2024 - 08:54 UTC

    Meeting between Lula and Arce signals new era of bilateral ties

    Arce told Lula that Bolivia wanted to join BRICS after entering Mercosur

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told his Bolivian counterpart Luis Arce Catacora during their encounter in Santa Cruz de la Sierra that “there is no individual way out in South America,” Agencia Brasil reported. Both leaders agreed that the bilateral meeting spelled the beginning of a “new era” in bilateral ties now that Bolivia is a full member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). It was Lula's first trip to Bolivia during his third term in office while Arce has been to Brazil four times in the past 12 months.

  • Tuesday, July 9th 2024 - 10:39 UTC

    Argentine FM backs Lacalle's call for a more flexible Mercosur

    Mondino spoke about ceasing to be a small, protected, fearful Mercosur

    In addition to President Javier Milei not attending the 64th Southern Common Market Summit in Asunción, Argentina brought another dissenting note to the regional bloc when Foreign Minister Diana Mondino upheld the idea of brokering unilateral deals with foreign powers or blocs in blunt opposition to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's stance on the matter.