The strong 16 pages long letter sent by OAS (Organization of American States) secretary general Luis Almagro to Venezuelan electoral officials calling for transparency, international observers and freeing political prisoners, ahead of December 6 legislative elections, triggered an immediate furious insulting reaction from Venezuela's strongman Diosdado Cabello, but also again exposed a growing rift in the Uruguayan government.
Uruguay's largest fish processing company Fripur, generating half of the exports in the country's sector, will lay off 960 workers and suspend its activity from Aug. 19, after falling into administration, it was reported in Montevideo.
One of Brazil's leading weekly magazines, Epoca, has revealed that former president Lula da Silva could be investigated over corruption allegations following on the imprisonment of the Odebrecht Group CEO, (Marcelo Odebrecht) which is one of the country's largest private corporations and employers, and for which Lula did much lobbying and sponsoring for public works projects in Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela and Ghana.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff stated on Thursday in Brussels she was not upset by differences with Argentina over the trade agreement Mercosur is to sign with the European Union, despite president Cristina Fernandez administration's cold feet on the issue.
Uruguay Sunday's department and municipal elections resulted mostly as forecasted with no major surprises, and as advanced by MP 9 May, in the capital Montevideo, with half the country's electorate, the two promising candidates have effectively been the elected mayor, Daniel Martinez and Edgardo Novick, a successful businessman and non political figure, who now becomes head of the opposition.
Uruguayan former president Jose Mujica expressed in Buenos Aires his most intimate respect for Argentine president Cristina Fernandez and revealed that on occasions he came across her when she was annoyed as a bad, cornered spider.
Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa said on Monday that Montevideo absolutely will not accept any more inmates from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo, in contrast to the previous government of Jose Mujica, who took in - as refugees - six Middle Eastern men who had been held at the facility.
Tabare Vazquez was sworn in as president of Uruguay Sunday, returning to office a decade after first leading the centre left catch-all coalition to power and drawing a curtain on folksy farmer Jose Mujica's colorful rule. Vazquez, a cancer doctor with a more buttoned-down style than the outspoken Mujica, won 53.6% of the vote in a November 30 presidential run-off, reclaiming the office he previously held from 2005 to 2010.
President Nicolas Maduro said his government had captured American citizens involved in espionage activities, and said US citizens in the future will have to seek visas to come to Venezuela. Speaking during a rally, he said his government will prohibit some US officials from entering Venezuela in retaliation for a similar measure by the government of President Barack Obama against a group of Venezuelan public officials.
Argentina's Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich on Monday responded to Uruguay’s President José “Pepe” Mujica, who accused Argentina of “forgetting about integration” when things go right for the country, saying the statement was “unfair” given Argentina’s role in the “foundation” of regional integration.