https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif http://en.mercopress.com/ Brazil consolidated its position as South America's leading defense spender during 2025, with a military budget of approximately USD 23.9 billion and a 13% year-on-year increase, while Uruguay recorded one of the steepest relative rises in the region, according to the annual report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released on Saturday. The region as a whole increased its military spending by 3.4% compared with 2024, in line with a global trend of armed forces modernization, open conflicts, and growing geopolitical tensions.

]]> Sun, 17 May 2026 13:48:00 GMT US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new package of sanctions against the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), the conglomerate linked to the Cuban Armed Forces that controls approximately 40% of the island's economy, in a fresh escalation of the economic pressure deployed by the Trump administration against the Havana regime. The measure is part of the implementation of Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, which authorizes sanctions against those responsible for political repression and threats to US national security.

]]> Fri, 08 May 2026 02:14:00 GMT The United States Department of War announced the signing of agreements with seven leading technology companies to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into classified operational environments. The contracts, which include SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Reflection, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services, seek to consolidate Washington's military technological leadership.

]]> Fri, 01 May 2026 12:12:00 GMT Brazilian group BTG Pactual, Latin America's largest investment bank, is awaiting authorisation from Uruguay's Central Bank (BCU) to begin operating in the local financial market following its $175 million acquisition of HSBC Uruguay, agreed in July 2025. Group executives expect regulatory approval to come through by mid-year, allowing them to begin operations gradually in the second half of 2026.

]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:28:00 GMT Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir and PayPal and one of the most influential figures in the global technology sector, met with President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada on Thursday, official sources confirmed. The meeting, scheduled for 2:00 p.m., was the culmination of a week of reserved activity in Buenos Aires that included high-level contacts with key members of the Argentine government.

]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:35:00 GMT The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court unanimously upheld the dismissal of a class action lawsuit filed by investors against Uruguayan fintech dLocal and the investment banks involved in its 2021 initial public offering, finding no material omissions in the information the company disclosed before the IPO.

]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:14:00 GMT Foreign residency applications in Paraguay surged 85% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 18,071 compared to 9,760 in the same period of 2025, the National Migration Directorate reported. Temporary residency requests jumped 105% to 14,995, while permanent residency applications rose 25% to 3,076.

]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:17:00 GMT Uruguay's government responded on Tuesday to the International Monetary Fund's latest projections with a strategy centered on trade openness and investment attraction. Deputy Economy and Finance Minister Martín Vallcorba acknowledged the world is going through "a moment of great uncertainty" driven by the Middle East war, but said the country is working to create "positive and favorable conditions for investment and growth."

]]> Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:20:00 GMT The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the U.S.-based Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced a partnership to secure fertilizer supply across the Americas, amid logistical disruptions and price volatility worsened by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war between the United States, Israel and Iran.

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:13:00 GMT The secretary general of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), Mariano Jabonero, said that US President Donald Trump's primary interest in Venezuela is energy-related and has nothing to do with promoting democratic values or civilization.

]]> Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:06:00 GMT