MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, January 15th 2026 - 13:40 UTC

Politics

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 15:44 UTC

    Life on South Georgia as a Government Officer, “the best decision of my life”

    We have welcomed over 100 cruise ships this season (Photo John Fowler)

    By Nadine Orme - As I walk to work this morning, I pause to allow a group of penguins the time to wander down the path in front of me. This may sound like a dream, but for me it is day to day reality, and it’s absolutely incredible. From the moment I arrived here I knew I had made the best decision of my life in coming to work on South Georgia as a government officer.

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:59 UTC

    Uruguay’s municipal elections: National Party dominates, Frente Amplio retains Montevideo

    Bergara’s victory ensures that Montevideo will continue to be governed by the progressive coalition, which has held power in the capital since 1990.

    Uruguay’s 2025 municipal and departmental (provincial) elections concluded with results reinforcing the country’s traditional political landscape. The left-wing Frente Amplio retained its stronghold in Montevideo and Canelones, while the center-right National Party (Partido Nacional) maintained its dominance across most rural regions, securing a total of 13 departments.

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:58 UTC

    Death of Bolivian national unveils xenophobic practices in Argentina

    Flores was driving under the influence and angered locals after crashing into a business

    Last week's death in Ezpeleta on he southern outskirts of Buenos Aires of 36-year-old Bolivian builder Richard Flores Mercado has sparked a diplomatic controversy between the two countries as the circumstances of the case would indicate a hate crime by reason of nationality.

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:54 UTC

    Colombia grants asylum to former Panamanian President Martinelli

    Martinelli had been sheltering at the Nicaraguan Embassy for over a year

    Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), sentenced to over 10 years in prison for money laundering and bribery in the Odebrecht case, was granted political asylum by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday.

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:43 UTC

    Chile: Boric's image plunges and Matthei's soars

    In case of a runoff, Matthei would prevail against any possible rival

    Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font's disapproval has plunged to 70%, matching previous high records from Jan. 2023 and May 2024, while his approval stood at 27%, according to the latest Cadem Plaza Pública survey released in Santiago during the weekend.

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:39 UTC

    Lula kicking off Beijing tour with meetings with businesspeople

    Lula is to sign at least 16 agreements with China this week

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is to meet Monday with executives from two major Chinese companies. Later in the day, he is to hold an encounter with representatives from the health sector and sign a series of agreements before closing the Brazil-China seminar. He is currently in Beijing on an official visit to strengthen business ties.

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:30 UTC

    Sweden: Top security adviser lasts 30 minutes on the job after intimate dating app pics surface

    Thyberg admitted he should have told the Government about having posted those pictures

    Sweden’s newly appointed national security adviser and former ambassador to Ukraine, Tobias Thyberg, resigned minutes after taking office following the leak of “sensitive” photos from an old Grindr same-sex dating app profile. “I should have informed [the government], but I didn’t,” Thyberg admitted.

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:24 UTC

    Argentina: No major changes in provincial elections, but LLA growing slowly

    Surprisingly, Milei's LLA prevailed in the city of Salta

    The Governors of the Argentine provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Chaco, and San Luis were consolidating their grip on the local legislatures following Sunday's elections. However, President Javier Milei's La Libertad Avanza (LLA), a relatively new political formation, was making significant progress in some districts amid poor turnout. A key index of the country's political reshaping is expected at next Sunday's elections in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA).

  • Monday, May 12th 2025 - 10:21 UTC

    Given Paraguay's trade deficit with China, opportunities such as UAE sought

    UAE investors are interested in expanding the Silvio Pettirossi Airport

    Paraguay trade experts warned this weekend, citing official data from the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) that 37.6% of the country's imports in the first quarter of 2025 stemmed from China, where very little is placed: 0.3% of sales abroad, as a result of Asunción's stance towards Taiwan, which prevents any direct trade with Beijing.

  • Sunday, May 11th 2025 - 23:50 UTC

    Former Uruguayan President José Mujica misses municipal election day due to health concerns

    Current Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi confirmed Mujica’s deteriorating health after visiting him on Friday. “He's in very bad shape,” Orsi told reporters.

    Former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica, a global icon of humility and leftist politics, did not participate in Sunday’s municipal elections due to serious health issues. The 88-year-old former leader, known for his austere lifestyle and philosophical reflections, remained at his rural home west of Montevideo.