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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, January 24th 2026 - 19:19 UTC

Politics

  • Saturday, December 7th 2024 - 10:48 UTC

    Panama becomes Mercosur associate State

    Mulino signed the agreement on behalf of Panama

    Panamian President José Raúl Mulino Friday signed his country's accession to the Southern Common Market as an associate State during the bloc's 65th Leaders Summit in Montevideo, on the sidelines of which the finalization of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) was also announced.

  • Friday, December 6th 2024 - 23:07 UTC

    Mercosur-EU FTA signed at last

    “Mercosur will bring significant benefits to consumers and businesses on both sides,” Von der Leyen said

    The South American Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union announced Friday in Montevideo the final signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between both blocs, thus creating the largest and most populated commerce zone worldwide. The understanding was reached after 25 years of negotiations and despite France's reluctance.

  • Friday, December 6th 2024 - 19:35 UTC

    Milei takes over Mercosur's rotating presidency

    Lula stayed away from the traditional family picture as payback for Milei's similar attitude during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last month

    In one of the last significant moments of his five-year term ending Feb. 28, Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou handed over the rotating chair of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) to his Argentine colleague Javier Milei as the bloc's 65th Leader's Summit concluded in Montevideo.

  • Friday, December 6th 2024 - 11:11 UTC

    Mercosur Summit: Lula decorates Mujica too

    “Of all the presidents I have met, he is the most extraordinary person,” said Lula at Mujica's residence. Photo: Dante Fernandez / AFP

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Thursday decorated former Uruguayan President José Pepe Mujica (2010-2015) with the National Order of the Southern Cross on the sidelines of the two-day Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, Agencia Brasil reported. Mujica, 89, had been granted a similar accolade earlier Thursday by Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

  • Friday, December 6th 2024 - 10:55 UTC

    Mercosur-EU FTA ratification imminent

    The imminent announcement is expected to happen during a press conference on Friday morning

    Momentum is building up in Montevideo as the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen seems to herald the imminent signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) as Brussels needs to halt China's commercial expansion in the region while Donald Trump's return to the White House looms over.

  • Friday, December 6th 2024 - 10:23 UTC

    Argentina's BCRA lowers basic interest rate again

    The previous decrease had been announced on Nov. 1 when the TNA was lowered from 40 to 35%

    Argentina's Central Bank (BCRA) announced Thursday a reduction in the basic interest rate (Nominal Annual Rate - TNA), from 35% to 32% while one for swaps will go down from 40% to 36%. The measure is effective as of Friday and impacts all fixed-term deposits.

  • Friday, December 6th 2024 - 10:00 UTC

    Argentine Supreme Court says CFK must stand trial for AMIA bombing cover-up

    CFK is believed to have covered up for the Iranian suspects in the AMIA bombing

    Argentina's Supreme Court (CSJN) ruled Thursday that former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) and others should stand trial for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran, thus upholding a previous decision by a Federal Court of Appeals.

  • Friday, December 6th 2024 - 10:00 UTC

    Relief in Brazil, EU negotiators agree to delay anti-deforestation bill until end of 2025

    The “informal agreement” reached by the Parliament, Commission, and Council is scheduled to be voted during the Parliament’s next plenary session, December 16–19

    The implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation bill has been postponed until the end of 2025, following a provisional political agreement this week, between the European Parliament and the European Council.

  • Thursday, December 5th 2024 - 21:09 UTC

    Bolivia's main airport out of operation for hours

    The former FedEx aircraft blocked Viru Viru's runway for a few hours after a landing gear problem

    An undercarriage failure resulted in a Transporte Aéreo Boliviano (TAB) McDonnell-Douglas freighter blocking the only runway at Santa Cruz de la Sierra's Viru Viru International Airport early Thursday. It was not until way past dawn that operations went back to normal. In the meantime, most flights were diverted to Asunción (Paraguay).

  • Thursday, December 5th 2024 - 20:38 UTC

    Petro decorates Mujica with Colombia's highest distinction

    Both former guerrilla fighters highlighted how much they have in common

    Colombian President Gustavo Petro Thursday decorated Uruguay's former head of State José Pepe Mujica with the Order of Boyacá for his commitment to regional peace. The ceremony was held at Mujica's residence in Rincón del Cerro, on the outskirts of the country's capital, where the 89-year-old leftwing leader welcomed a group of his supporters.