During the 2013/14 season, 237 cruise vessels called in Uruguay's two main ports, Montevideo and Punta del Este, with 409.367 visitors, a 6,3% increase in calls over the previous season, according to a report released by the country's presidential web-site.
Brazil's economic and social bank, BNDES, denied it was intent in financing Uruguay's deep sea port on the Atlantic coast, as repeated sources in the Uruguayan government have indicated.
A majority of Uruguayans, 55%, believe their country must support Argentina's sovereignty claims over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands but an overwhelming 80% also want closer trade links with the Islands and reject the ban on Falklands flagged vessels to operate from Montevideo or other Uruguayan ports. In both cases neutral opinions range 11% and 12%.
The cross-party delegation of Uruguayan parliamentarians currently visiting the Falkland Islands appear quite unmoved by what their leader Jaime Trobo described as the “dust storm” that their visit had created both at home in Uruguay and in neighbouring Argentina.
A Spanish flagged trawler returning from fishing in the Falkland Islands caught fire early Monday morning as it was docking in the port of Montevideo. The cause of the fire which was rapidly controlled by Uruguayan fire brigades is still unknown according to the navy spokesperson Gaston Juansolo.
Argentina's clash with Uruguay over the Botnia/UPM pulp mill has led to furious retaliations from Buenos Aires severely limiting trade and not allowing Argentine exporters to make use of the port of Montevideo for transshipment.
Uruguay President José “Pepe” Mujica questioned Argentina’s recent decision to stop freight transfers at ports belonging to Mercosur countries Buenos Aires has no maritime agreements with. Mujica blasted an “insular” position that “shatters” regional integration.
Uruguayan former president Jorge Batlle (2000/2005) said on Facebook that Argentina will again be a normal country when President Cristina Fernandez disappears from the political stage. And when this happens the Argentines are going to be happier and as a consequence so will we.
To the loss of transshipments from Argentina, estimated in 100 million dollars a year by Montevideo port authorities, must be added the 60 million dollars following the ban on Falklands' flagged vessels from operating in Uruguay, claimed Mario Baubeta, president of Uruguay's Navigation Centre.
Uruguay awarded French gas and power group GDF Suez SA a contract to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) re-gasification plant at an estimated cost of 1.125 billion dollars, the government said on Tuesday.