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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, August 13th 2026 - 05:03 UTC

Tag: United Nations

  • Friday, August 7th 2026 - 20:58 UTC

    Why the Falkland Islands are British

    The islands are not an “imperial possession” of Britain – that’s 19th-century language. Photo: Getty Images

    By Graham Pascoe (*)

    On 11 July 2026 the Argentine foreign minister, Pablo Quirno, wrote a long article on the Falkland Islands (or the Malvinas, as they are called in Spanish) in the Buenos Aires newspaper La Nación, as Iona Cleave reported in the London Telegraph the next day. On 23 July he published an almost identical article in the Israeli English-language daily Jerusalem Post. In both his articles the foreign minister repeated several arguments which (he said) showed the strength of Argentina's claim to the Falklands. Unfortunately for him, everything he said is historically and legally untrue, as will be pointed out below.

    1 comment
  • Sunday, August 2nd 2026 - 20:11 UTC

    Bachelet places fourth in first Security Council straw poll ahead of Uruguay debate

    Bachelet, 74, a former executive director of UN Women and former high commissioner for human rights, faces an unusual situation: her candidacy lacks the backing of her own country's government

    Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet placed fourth in the Security Council's first informal poll on the candidates seeking to succeed António Guterres at the head of the United Nations, held behind closed doors in New York on Thursday.

  • Friday, July 31st 2026 - 09:39 UTC

    Fernández de Kirchner asks UN to suspend the ban keeping her off the ballot

    Fernández de Kirchner, 73, was sentenced to six years in prison and permanent disqualification from public office for fraud in the awarding of public works contracts during her terms

    The defense team of former Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has filed an individual communication with the United Nations Human Rights Committee seeking suspension of the lifetime ban on holding public office imposed on her by the Argentine courts, her lawyers announced on Wednesday in Buenos Aires.

  • Friday, July 24th 2026 - 07:00 UTC

    Six candidates to lead the UN debate in the General Assembly with no clear front-runner

    The common thread across the interventions was the need to restore the credibility of an organization facing financial strains and largely absent from negotiations over the world's major conflicts

    The six contenders to succeed António Guterres at the head of the United Nations set out their proposals on Thursday in a debate held in the General Assembly Hall, a week before the formal start of the selection process. For nearly two hours they answered questions from diplomats, UN staff, and civil society representatives, in a publicly broadcast session.

  • Wednesday, July 22nd 2026 - 22:26 UTC

    Report says Trump is pushing Infantino to lead the UN

    According to those sources, Trump believes the football official, 56, who holds dual Swiss and Italian nationality, is “respected by everyone around the world”

    US President Donald Trump is promoting FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a candidate to succeed António Guterres at the head of the United Nations, according to the New York Post, which cited anonymous sources close to the White House. The information has not been officially confirmed by the US government or FIFA, and Infantino himself has not commented publicly.

  • Friday, July 3rd 2026 - 09:58 UTC

    Mercosur backs Argentina days after Islanders' UN appeal for self-determination

    Mercosur's 68th Presidential Summit in Asunción issued a Special Declaration reiterating their support for Argentina's “legitimate rights” in the sovereignty dispute over the Falklands

    Within the span of a week, the two opposing positions in the Falklands dispute were laid out clearly in two separate arenas: South American governments' backing for Argentina's sovereignty claim, and the defense of self-determination that two representatives of the Islanders took to the United Nations. Neither pronouncement was a reply to the other, but together they illustrate the distance between two hard-to-reconcile logics.

  • Saturday, March 28th 2026 - 10:27 UTC

    UN warns: over 10,000 Colombians recruited as mercenaries in the past decade

    Soldiers of the Colombian National Army at attention. Photo: AFP

    A UN expert group on mercenaries warned on Friday of a significant increase in the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries, driven by the proliferation of armed conflicts worldwide. After an 11-day visit to Colombia, the body estimated that more than 10,000 citizens — nearly all former military and police personnel — have been recruited abroad over the past decade, with offers ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 per month.

  • Tuesday, March 24th 2026 - 21:33 UTC

    Chile withdraws support for Bachelet's candidacy for UN Secretary General

    Bachelet responded with a statement affirming her candidacy would continue with the support of Brazil and Mexico. “My willingness to contribute to this challenge remains intact”

    The government of José Antonio Kast on Tuesday withdrew Chile's backing for former President Michelle Bachelet's bid to lead the United Nations, deeming her candidacy “unviable” in the current context.

  • Saturday, January 24th 2026 - 02:32 UTC

    Lula says Trump wants to “create a new UN” as he attacks proposed Gaza Peace Council

    Lula spoke at the closing session of the 14th National Meeting of Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Salvador, Bahia

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Friday that global politics is entering a critical phase in which “multilateralism is being thrown out by unilateralism,” and argued that US President Donald Trump is effectively proposing “to create a new UN in which he alone is the owner,” referring to Washington’s plan to set up a Peace Council tied to the administration of Gaza.

  • Tuesday, December 2nd 2025 - 10:59 UTC

    A woman from Arab Emirates will be leading the UN agency for Tourism

    The appointment of Al Nowais as the new Secretary-General for the term 2026-2029 was the highlight of the first day of the UN Tourism General Assembly

    Ms. Al Shaikha Nowais from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be the first woman to lead the United Nations Specialized Agency for tourism in its 50-year history. She will begin her term at the start of 2026, having gained significant experience in the private sector, most notably as Corporate Vice President at Rotana Hotels.

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