MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, April 4th 2025 - 00:09 UTC

Politics

  • Thursday, March 20th 2025 - 10:51 UTC

    Argentina's Lower House greenlights Milei's IMF emergency decree

    Most lawmakers “understood the mandate of the ballot boxes,” Casa Rosada said after the outcome

    Argentina's Lower House Wednesday gave its nod to President Javier Milei's Emergency Decree (DNU) clearing the way for further borrowing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reinforce Central Bank reserves and manage debt by 129 votes in favor, 108 against, and 6 abstentions with endorsements from the ruling La Libertad Avanza (LLA) as well as other parties, such as PRO, UCR, Coalición Cívica, Innovación Federal, Producción y Trabajo, and a group of Encuentro Federal lawmakers. Opposition came primarily from the Peronist Unión por la Patria (UxP), leftwing groups, and other minor factions.

  • Thursday, March 20th 2025 - 10:23 UTC

    Eduardo Bolsonaro to seek political asylum in the US

    Lula's allies claim it is a stunt ahead of the October 2026 presidential elections

    Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, a son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, announced he would be taking a leave from Parliament and remaining in the United States where he intends to seek political asylum at the suggestion of his legal team, who advised him against returning to the country as his freedom could be endangered by whatever Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes might decide. He traveled to the US on Feb. 27, 2025, initially for meetings and vacation.

  • Thursday, March 20th 2025 - 09:48 UTC

    Chilean Lower House Speaker resigns her post

    Cariola was giving birth when her apartment was searched by the prosecution, which sparked controversy

    Chilean Congresswoman Karol Cariola, who is on maternity leave, turned in her resignation as Speaker of the Lower House after private chats in which she criticized President Gabriel Boric Font were leaked. Cariola is also under investigation for alleged influence peddling after she asked former Santiago Mayor and fellow Communist Irací Hassler to help a Chinese businessman “friend,” as other private conversations would have proven. She was also quoted as saying that Boric was “a shitty human being” and the current government, “the worst thing that has happened to us.”

  • Thursday, March 20th 2025 - 06:07 UTC

    Brazilian Central Bank raises interest rate to its highest in nine years, 14.25%

    Copom indicated headline inflation and measures of underlying inflation remain above the target and have again increased in recent releases.

    The Brazilian Central Bank Copom (Monetary Policy Committee) raised the benchmark interest rate (Selic) by one full percentage point on Wednesday, from 13.25% to 14.25%, the highest since 2016, the level reached during the political crisis that ousted then president of Dilma Rousseff’s (PT) government.

  • Thursday, March 20th 2025 - 05:58 UTC

    Germany voted to rearm, but can the 'rule of law' be kept alive?

    The Bundestag has voted to reform the 'debt brake,' paving the way for a landmark increased spending bill.

    By Gwynne Dyer - After the Second World War, the “rule of law” prevented borders from changing, explains Gwynne Dyer, but it's at risk due to Trump. On March 18, there was a vote in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament that may have changed the course of history. When the vote came out ‘Yes’, you could feel the tectonic plates shift. Germany has voted to rearm.

  • Thursday, March 20th 2025 - 05:43 UTC

    Tributes pour for Battle of Britain’s “Last of the Few”, who died at age 105 in Dublin

    Captain Hemingway “Per Ardua ad Astra” Group, was born in Dublin in 1919, joined RAF in 1938, a true gentleman, amazing character and outstanding example

    The Prince and Princess of Wales, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are among the many people who have taken to social media to pay their respects to Group Captain John “Paddy” Hemingway, the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain. The RAF veteran, who also took part in the Battle of France and in Italy, died at the age of 105.

  • Wednesday, March 19th 2025 - 23:52 UTC

    Picardo reflects on Gibraltar's response to the Covid-19 crisis

    The pandemic was a turning point, Picardo stressed

    Chief Minister Fabian Picardo of Gibraltar reflected on the Covid-19 pandemic, five years after the first lockdown, calling it a “turning point in history.” Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, he described the severe challenges faced during the crisis, including the potential for thousands of deaths and the need to expand mortuary capacity.

  • Wednesday, March 19th 2025 - 20:55 UTC

    Falklands Government successfully raises funds for future capital investments

    Among critical projects are the replacement of FIPASS and the development of a new Power Station, which are both essential infrastructure for the Falklands

    The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) has successfully raised £150 million to facilitate investment in the capital program over the coming years, and in particular the replacement Port facility planned for 2027.

  • Wednesday, March 19th 2025 - 20:35 UTC

    Falklands retains S&P Global Ratings A+ with stable outlook; praise for FIG fiscal performance

    MLA Roger Spink “The A+ rating has been achieved on the basis of the many years of political and economic stability found here in the Islands”

    The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) is pleased to announce that S&P Global Ratings have confirmed that the sovereign rating for the Falkland Islands remains at A+ with a stable outlook.

  • Wednesday, March 19th 2025 - 19:53 UTC

    Peru: Pedro Castillo drops hunger strike at the request of his children

    Castillo had gone on a hunger strike on March 10 to protest against his announced conviction by a biased court

    Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo Terrones suspended temporarily his “dry hunger strike” but insisted he would not be appearing at his trial for his failed coup d'état in 2022 because it was all a masquerade with his conviction already announced by a biased court. “As a tactical decision, and at the request of my children, my parents, and our beloved Peruvian people, I have decided to temporarily suspend it,” he wrote on social media.