Get our news on your inbox! x

Remember me Forgot password

MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, March 4th 2026 - 05:12 UTC

Politics

  • Saturday, February 21st 2026 - 01:40 UTC

    Package bomb injures four at Argentina gendarmerie school in Buenos Aires

    The blast occurred at about 13:49 on the 11th floor of the institution’s building at Avenida Paseo Colón 533, after personnel handled a parcel that had been stored on-site for months

    A package containing an explosive device detonated on Friday at Argentina’s National Gendarmerie Superior School in central Buenos Aires, injuring force personnel and triggering a security operation and a partial evacuation of the premises.

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 12:13 UTC

    Uruguay foreign minister Lubetkin grilled over Venezuela, China–Taiwan wording and US visas

    The hearing lasted about five hours and also covered the handling of the Mercosur–European Union and Mercosur–Singapore agreements, as well as President Yamandú Orsi’s recent trip to China

    Uruguay’s foreign minister Mario Lubetkin appeared before Parliament’s Permanent Commission after an opposition-led interpellation focused on the government’s stance on Venezuela, a Taiwan-related line included in a joint statement with China, and the lack of clarity over US immigration-visa restrictions affecting Uruguay.

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 04:02 UTC

    Argentina’s lower house backs Milei labour reform bill without article 44

    The bill passed the chamber with 135 votes in favour and 115 against, with no abstentions, according to local reports

    Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies approved President Javier Milei’s “labour modernisation” bill on Thursday, but with a last-minute change that removed article 44, one of the proposal’s most disputed provisions. Because the text was amended, it must return to the Senate for a final vote, a timetable the government wants completed ahead of the March 1 opening of the ordinary congressional session.

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 03:43 UTC

    Christine Lagarde: International order is “in danger”

    Without naming President Donald Trump, Lagarde argued that Washington started to lose confidence that the rules worked in its favor

    European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde warned on Thursday in New York that the international order is “in danger” because the United States has begun to doubt the rules-based system it long supported, in remarks delivered as she received Columbia University’s Wolfgang Friedmann Memorial Award.

  • Friday, February 20th 2026 - 03:41 UTC

    Venezuela passes unanimous amnesty law, excluding armed actions and serious crimes

    Rights group Foro Penal has said that, despite recent releases, hundreds of people remain imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela.

    Venezuela’s National Assembly unanimously approved an amnesty law on Thursday aimed at covering people prosecuted or convicted in political-crisis episodes between 2002 and 2025, a measure lawmakers said is designed to speed releases and close related court cases. The bill was sent to the Miraflores presidential palace for enactment and would take effect once formally published.

  • Thursday, February 19th 2026 - 23:43 UTC

    The rise and fall of Prince Andrew: Falklands war veteran, trade envoy and scandals

    Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's life went from frontline military service in the Falklands War to a high-profile trade role and years of recurring controversy

    Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor —until recently known publicly as Prince Andrew— was detained on Thursday in Norfolk and later released “under investigation” in a probe into suspected misconduct in public office linked to his association with Jeffrey Epstein, police said. King Charles III said in a statement that “the law must take its course” and that a “full, fair and proper process” should follow.

  • Thursday, February 19th 2026 - 11:59 UTC

    CGT general strike disrupts transport in Argentina as lower house debates Milei labor reform

    The strike followed a majority committee report advancing the bill and came ahead of a session the government expects to open with quorum

    Argentina began a 24-hour general strike on Thursday called by the country’s main labor federation, the CGT, to protest President Javier Milei’s labor reform bill, as the Chamber of Deputies was set to start debating the legislation from 2:00 p.m. local time. The stoppage immediately hit urban and long-distance mobility and forced airlines and operators to reschedule services.

  • Thursday, February 19th 2026 - 04:39 UTC

    Peru's congress names José María Balcázar interim president

    Balcázar, a lawyer from Cajamarca and a former judge, takes office with a record that has drawn controversy in the past. It includes public remarks defending child marriage

    Peru’s Congress late Wednesday elected José María Balcázar, an 83-year-old lawmaker from Peru Libre, as the country’s interim president following the removal of President José Jerí amid allegations tied to undisclosed meetings and suspected influence peddling. Balcázar is set to remain in office until July 28, when he must hand power to the winner of the general election scheduled for April 12.

  • Thursday, February 19th 2026 - 04:04 UTC

    Mercosur–EU deal: Uruguay’s PIT-CNT urges sector impact studies for an “informed” Senate debate

    PIT-CNT argued the text reached Parliament without an impact study that would allow a rigorous evaluation of employment

    Uruguay’s PIT-CNT labour federation warned lawmakers that the debate on the Mercosur–European Union trade deal is moving forward without adequate sector-by-sector assessments, which it said “limits the possibility of an informed debate” on potential effects on industry, jobs and the country’s productive structure. The union confederation testified on Wednesday before a special Senate committee reviewing the agreement, alongside the Chamber of Industry (CIU) and the Rice Growers Association (ACA), ahead of a vote expected on Wednesday 25.

  • Thursday, February 19th 2026 - 02:54 UTC

    Trump weighs Iran strike options as U.S. builds up forces and pursues talks

    Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there are “many reasons and arguments” for an attack, while stressing that “diplomacy is always his first option.”

    U.S. President Donald Trump has considered a timeline for potential strikes on Iran “in the coming days,” but no final decision has been made, CBS News reported, citing U.S. officials.