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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, April 26th 2026 - 06:05 UTC

Politics

  • Wednesday, March 1st 2017 - 20:58 UTC

    Latin American prosecutors will jointly investigate Odebrecht bribery case

    As part of the ongoing investigation, an arrest warrant was recently issued for former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, who is now a fugitive from justice

    A multilateral group of officials will jointly investigate the extent of corruption stemming from the Odebrecht bribery case. Following a meeting on February 16, executives from the public prosecution offices of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Portugal and Venezuela agreed to work together to fully investigate bribes alleged to have been paid to high-ranking officials across Latin America and beyond.

  • Wednesday, March 1st 2017 - 17:41 UTC

    Colombia cancels construction contracts with Odebrechet

    Colombia’s prosecution office reported there is evidence to suggest Odebrecht paid bribes: allegedly it handed US$6.5 million to a former transportation vice minister

    The Colombian National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) has cancelled a US$1.89 billion highway construction contract with Odebrecht. The Brazilian contractor is the majority partner in a consortium that won the 25-year public private partnership (PPP) contract in 2010.

  • Wednesday, March 1st 2017 - 17:03 UTC

    Trump addresses Congress with a speech of unity and hope

    “A new chapter of American greatness is now beginning. A new national pride is sweeping across our nation”

    United States president Trump declared on Tuesday that a “new chapter of American greatness is now beginning” as he made economic revival the centerpiece of his first address to Congress – issuing a clarion call to “restart the engine of the American economy” through tax cuts, better trade deals, immigration enforcement and a US$1 trillion infrastructure program.

  • Wednesday, March 1st 2017 - 16:56 UTC

    Resource-rich Australia has reached a 25-year streak without recession

    Australia has not seen a recession - defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth - since June 1991. (Pic CNN)

    Australia's economy has jumped sharply in the last quarter of 2016, allowing the resource-rich economy to extend its 25-year streak without recession. It brings the country close to breaking the Netherlands' record of modern-era uninterrupted economic growth.

  • Wednesday, March 1st 2017 - 16:34 UTC

    UK government could face defeat on the Brexit bill in the House of Lords

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd had sought to reassure members that EU nationals' status would be a priority once Brexit talks begin.

    The government of Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a first defeat for its Brexit bill in the House of Lords later. Peers are expected to agree to amend the draft legislation to protect the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.Home Secretary Amber Rudd had sought to reassure members that EU nationals' status would be a priority once Brexit talks begin.

  • Wednesday, March 1st 2017 - 13:26 UTC

    Falklands: Argentine human rights/political delegation to the Islands with a message of peace and dialogue

    The delegation includes Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, 1980 Peace Nobel Prize

    At least fourteen human rights, social, religious and political leaders from Argentina are planning to travel to the Falkland Islands in mid March hoping to meet Islanders with a message of peace and dialogue. The delegation includes Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, 1980 Peace Nobel Prize, Nora Cortiñas, founder of one of the several branches in which the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo are split, and members of the Memory Commission, according to reports from Buenos Aires.

  • Tuesday, February 28th 2017 - 17:53 UTC

    UN says that action to curb climate change is unstoppable, despite Trump

    Ms Espinosa said it would be more damaging for the US to leave the on-going climate talks process altogether than to stop funding the clean energy program.

    The UN’s new climate chief admits she’s worried about President Donald Trump – but is confident that action to curb climate change is unstoppable. President Trump said he’d withdraw from the UN climate deal and stop funding the UN’s clean energy program. But former Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa said that the delay in any firm announcement suggests the issue is still unresolved.

  • Sunday, February 26th 2017 - 14:25 UTC

    EU pledges to keep Ireland and Ulster border “as open as possible”

    PM Kenny met European Commission President Juncker and EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels, where he stressed Dublin’s concerns about the border

    The EU’s negotiators will work to keep the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland “as open as possible” after Brexit, the President of the bloc, Jean-Claude Juncker, said after meeting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.

  • Sunday, February 26th 2017 - 14:18 UTC

    A Latino, ex-Obama Labor secretary elected chairman of the Democrats

    “By getting back to basics, we can turn the Democratic Party around, take the fight to Donald Trump, and win elections from school board to the Senate”, said Perez

    Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez on Saturday was elected chairman of the United States Democratic National Committee, defeating top-rival Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, in their respective bids to chart the direction of the national party. Perez was elected after two rounds of balloting in Atlanta at the party’s annual winter meeting. He received 235 votes, crossing the threshold of 218 ballots.

  • Sunday, February 26th 2017 - 14:04 UTC

    “I prefer bridges to walls”, Kuczynski tells Trump at the White House

    “We're interested in the free movement of people ... I emphasized that to President Trump and we prefer bridges to walls”, said the Peruvian president

    The first Latin American leader to visit U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House said that he told Trump he prefers bridges to walls and favors the free movement of people across borders. However, Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski declined to comment specifically on Trump's proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking in a press conference following the meeting.