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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, April 19th 2025 - 13:51 UTC

Politics

  • Wednesday, January 29th 2025 - 09:56 UTC

    Chile's Central Bank keeps benchmark interest rate at 5%

    In July 2023, the Central Bank's Board made the first cut in the TPM, after stagnating it at 11.25% in December 2022

    Chile's Central Bank Council unanimously voted Tuesday in favor of keeping the monetary policy interest rate (TPM) at 5% for the second month in a row amid high volatility in global financial markets after the recent change of government in the United States. Tuesday's decision halted a downward trend that had been going on for months.

  • Wednesday, January 29th 2025 - 09:17 UTC

    Taxing the “super rich” pays off for Brazil's gov't

    “We're just bringing the super-rich into the same tax bracket as the middle class,” said Barreirinhas

    Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad's policy of taxing the “super rich” yielded unprecedented returns of R$ 20.6 billion (US$ 3.32 billion) to the South American country's coffers in 2024, Federal Revenue Secretary Robinson Barreirinhas confirmed Tuesday. The strategy focuses on exclusive investment funds and offshore assets, it was explained.

  • Wednesday, January 29th 2025 - 08:36 UTC

    Trump's gov't supports Guyana's case regarding Essequibo dispute

    Rubio told Ali that Trump's government would oppose the claims brought forward by Maduro “and his cronies”

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Guyanese President Dr. Irfaan Ali held a telephone conversation earlier this week during which the new Republican administration of President Donald Trump ratified its steadfast support of Guyana’s territorial integrity “in the face of Nicolás Maduro and his cronies’ bellicose actions” regarding sovereignty over the Essequibo region, Spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed. They also reviewed the ongoing illegal migration crisis.

  • Tuesday, January 28th 2025 - 22:39 UTC

    Sheinbaum not attending Celac Tegucigalpa Summit

    The Mexican president lowered her challenging tone towards the White House, perhaps after Gustavo Petro's undignified backtracking from his demands to Trump

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum admitted Tuesday that she would not be attending the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) “emergency” Jan. 30 summit called for by Honduras' Xiomara Castro to discuss the ongoing mass deportations by the United States' newly-inaugurated Republican administration that has been fiddling with the idea of imposing 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

  • Tuesday, January 28th 2025 - 11:52 UTC

    Falklands Legislative Assembly reaffirms commitment for Holocaust Memorial Day

    The eight members of the Legislative Assembly at Gilbert House

    In commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly affirms its commitment to the principles of Holocaust Memorial Day, observed annually on 27 January. Members of the Legislative Assembly join the global community in honoring the victims of the Holocaust and all genocides, reflecting on the lessons of the past to build a more just and equitable future.

  • Tuesday, January 28th 2025 - 10:55 UTC

    Argentina to build fence along Bolivian border

    Aguas Blancas is known to be particularly porous to uncontrolled traffic from Bolivia

    Authorities in the Argentine province of Salta called for tenders to build a “perimeter fence” 200 meters long and 2.5 meters high on the border with Bolivia along the Bermejo River between the Aguas Blancas bus terminal and the immigration checkpoint, in a move to keep irregular aliens and drugs from entering the country.

  • Tuesday, January 28th 2025 - 10:00 UTC

    Uruguayan gov't records a cyberattack every 30 minutes in 2024

    Cyberattack threats outpace the Uruguayan government's defense capabilities despite increasing efforts in this regard

    Uruguay's National Computer Security Incident Response Center (CERTUY) issued a report Monday in Montevideo stating that 14,264 attacks were reported last year, a significant increase from the 4,968 incidents in 2023. Most cases consisted of phishing, followed by unauthorized access to systems, malware installation, intrusion attempts, and proactive breaches of state systems.

  • Tuesday, January 28th 2025 - 08:47 UTC

    Things back to normal but not for Colombians seeking a US visa

    Colombian would-be travelers will have to wait until the tide caused by Petro's challenging Trump subsides

    The US State Department confirmed Monday that delays were still to be expected by Colombian nationals seeking a visa to travel to the United States after the incident between Presidents Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro over the weekend regarding two deportation flights.

  • Tuesday, January 28th 2025 - 08:19 UTC

    Lula and Putin discuss ongoing world affairs

    Lula told Putin he would be attending the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9

    Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Vladimir Putin of Russia held a telephone conversation Monday during which they discussed ongoing global affairs and reviewed the bilateral agenda. In addition, the South American leader accepted the invitation to attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow in May, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Both leaders also welcomed Indonesia's joining the BRICS group as a full member.

  • Tuesday, January 28th 2025 - 07:41 UTC

    Milei’s 2025 challenges: Between Argentina's mid-term elections and the IMF

    Javier Milei with his good friend Donald Trump

    By Alejandro Werner (*) - The author thanks Ignacio Albe, Olivier Blanchard, Martina Copelman, Joseph Gagnon, José de Gregorio, Patrick Honohan, Douglas Irwin, Maurice Obstfeld, and other PIIE colleagues for their comments and suggestions.