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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, July 19th 2025 - 02:21 UTC

Politics

  • Friday, May 26th 2023 - 09:07 UTC

    Argentina imposes more impediments to foreign trade; Central bank desperately short of US dollars

    The Argentine Central Bank established a decree encouraging the non-collection of freight rates for imports to avoid delivering US dollars.

    Given the financial problems and shortage of foreign currency, on Wednesday, May 24, the leading shipping company MSC, followed by seven others, announced that, as from June, ‘freight collect’ will be charged for exports from Argentina, meaning that these charges will be billed to the party receiving a shipment, often called the consignee.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 21:43 UTC

    Argentina's presidential elections: CFK did not say it, but she showed it

    From left to right: CFK, Máximo Kirchner, Wado De Pedro and Sergio Massa. The message was there; not so much in the Vice President's speech.

    By Mordechai Taji

    Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) did not announce on Thursday anyone's candidacy - hers or not - for this year's elections. She did not do it with her voice. But by her side were her son, Deputy Máximo Kirchner, Interior Minister Wado De Pedro, and Economy Minister Sergio Massa. It was a visual message: two of those three will most likely be on one of the tickets to be presented in the primary, mandatory, simultaneous, and open elections (PASO). She also confirmed that she would not run and frustrated the hopes of some unconditional faithful, who expected her to change her mind.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 21:32 UTC

    Argentina's president breaks protocol during religious service

    Alberto Fernández was full of praise for Pope Francis and former President Néstor Kirchner

    Argentine President Alberto Fernandez broke protocol and delivered a few words during the Te Deum held on Thursday at the Buenos Aires Cathedral on the occasion of the national holiday of May 25. Traditionally, May 25 marks the expulsion of the Spanish viceroy in 1810, but in 2023 it signified the 20th anniversary of Néstor Kirchner's coming to power, which is what Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) would later celebrate under heavy rain in Plaza de Mayo.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 21:27 UTC

    Archbishop of Buenos Aires urges politicians to show their vocation

    It was the last May 25 Te Deum for both Alberto Fernández and for Poli, succeeded Jorge Bergoglio when the latter became Pope Francis

    Thursday's Te Deum was a last for Argentine President Alberto Fernández, but also for Buenos Aires Archbishop Mario Aurelio Poli, who will retire later this year after succeeding Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when the latter became Pope Francis in 2013. Fernández shall not be seeking reelection and thus will complete his term on Dec. 9.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 11:30 UTC

    James Cleverly in Chile: Falklands have a right to self determination and to choose their future

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly made a fundamental speech on Latin American policy during his visit to Chile

    British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, on a political and trade visit to South America, including Colombia, Chile and Brazil, said the Falkland Islands people have the right to self determination recalling that ten years ago Islanders overwhelmingly voted to remain in the British Family.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 10:45 UTC

    US Federal Reserve divided on how to continue with interest rates, FOMC minutes

    One position advocated by “some” members judged that progress in reducing inflation was “unacceptably slow” and would necessitate further hikes.

    US Federal Reserve minutes released this Wednesday showed officials split at their last meeting over how to continue with interest rates: some members saw the need for more increases while others expected a slowdown in growth to remove the need to tighten further.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 10:41 UTC

    DeSantis finally announces White House bid on Twitter

    “If I get nominated I will do the job,” DeSantis promised

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Wednesday announced he would be participating in the primary elections of the Republican Party to run for President of the United States in 2024. He will face former President Donald Trump, among others, if he is to make it to the White House. “I'm running for president to lead our great American comeback,” De Santis wrote on Twitter, where he also participated in a broadcast interview with Elon Musk.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 10:25 UTC

    Brazilian gov't, Google team up to filter hate speech

    A game for players to act as slave owners, which has been taken offline, triggered the Brazilian government's response

    Brazil's Ministry of Racial Equality (MIR) and Google will develop a filter to prevent hate speech, intolerance, and racism to be disseminated through the internet, Agencia Brasil reported.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 10:17 UTC

    Taiwan disburses third donation to Paraguayan hospitals

    Taiwan is a strategic ally in matters of cooperation seeking the welfare and progress of both peoples, Borba explained

    Taiwanese authorities announced Wednesday in Asuncion a US$ 4,800,000 disbursement of a monetary donation to Paraguay's Health Ministry to be allocated to the Trauma Hospital, the Itauguá Hospital, and the Pediatric Children's Hospital of Acosta Ñu. It was the third installment of a US$ 14,992,733 donation from the Asian island for the “improvement of the Quality of Care of the Establishments of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare,” according to a statement from the Paraguayan Ministry.

  • Thursday, May 25th 2023 - 10:00 UTC

    Canada, Saudi Arabia resume full diplomatic ties after 5 years

    It was “about time” relations were restored, said former Canadian Ambassador Horak

    Five years after Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's ambassador from Riyadh over Ottawa's remarks on women's rights activists, both countries agreed Wednesday to restore full diplomatic relations, Global Affairs Canada (Canada's foreign ministry - GAC) announced in a statement.