MercoPress https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[Latin America's largest investment bank targets Uruguay as regional hub after acquiring local HSBC unit]]> Founded in 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, the group is present in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru 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 <![CDATA[Tech magnate Peter Thiel meets Milei after a week of private contacts with the Argentine government]]> Thiel, whose fortune is estimated at over $23 billion, has spent at least a week in the Argentine capital. He is reported to have completed the purchase of a home in Buenos Aires 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 <![CDATA[New York court rules in favor of Uruguayan fintech dLocal, dismisses investor class action]]> dLocal, founded in Uruguay, specializes in processing payments in emerging markets and listed on the Nasdaq in June 2021 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 <![CDATA[Paraguay attracts record foreigners with low taxes and new investor residency program]]> Paraguay consolidated over recent decades a simplified tax structure known as “10-10-10”: 10% VAT, 10% personal income tax and 10% corporate income tax. 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 <![CDATA[Uruguay bets on international integration to attract investment amid global uncertainty]]> The IMF cut its growth forecast for Uruguay from 2.4% to 1.8% for 2026, matching the 2025 rate, as part of a global revision triggered by the conflict in Iran 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 <![CDATA[Latin America faces fertilizer vulnerability; IICA and TFI agree joint plan amid Hormuz crisis]]> Global fertilizer supply chain faces simultaneous pressures: Chinese restrictions on phosphate exports, US tariffs that reduced nutrient imports, and the disruption of transit through Hormuz 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 <![CDATA[“Has anyone talked about democracy? No”: OEI secretary criticizes Trump's oil-driven approach to Venezuela]]> The Trump administration has implemented a series of measures to facilitate US investment in Venezuela's energy sector 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 <![CDATA[Falklands plans for oil future, Monday begins Economic Development Forum]]> From left to right: Targ Patience, Dr. Genève Phillip-Durham and Kathy Smith As of Monday April 6th the Falkland Islands will become a hub of conferences and workshops with the inauguration of the 2026 Economic Development Forum, prepared by the Falklands Chamber of Commerce and presented by the Falklands Development Corporation, FIDC, which will be looking ahead to the challenges from the oil and telecommunications industries and their transformative dynamics into the future.

]]> Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:26:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil unveils first supersonic fighter jet manufactured on its soil, a milestone for Latin America]]> President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva led the ceremony and christened the aircraft by spraying a champagne bottle over the fuselage Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer unveiled on Wednesday the first F-39E Gripen fighter jet manufactured in Brazil, a milestone the country's presidency called "unprecedented in Latin America." It is the first of 15 supersonic combat aircraft Embraer will produce at its facility in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo state, under a total contract for 36 jets ordered from Swedish firm Saab.

]]> Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:21:00 GMT <![CDATA[Uruguay considers with “interest” British offer of three Royal Navy offshore patrol vessels]]> One of the vessels, the HMS Mersey, is a River-class offshore patrol vessel of the British Royal Navy Uruguay's government is considering with “interest” a British offer to acquire three Royal Navy offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), according to El Observador, citing sources at the executive offices. The proposal involves first-generation River-class vessels — HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey, and HMS Severn — operational since 2003 and scheduled for decommissioning in 2028 as part of the British fleet renewal under NATO's defense spending commitments.

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