President Luis Lacalle Pou told his country's Parliament Saturday that Uruguay needed to open up to the world. In his last accountability for the year speech as head of state before Parliament, he also singled out Argentina and Brazil for “blocking” Mercosur agreements and insisted on the importance of achieving fiscal goals, low inflation, employment growth, educational transformation, and making the regional bloc more flexible.
Uruguay's Senate unanimously agreed Tuesday not to move on with its advice and consent regarding the appointment of Hugo Cayrús as the country's next ambassador to Ankara following the embarrassing incidents caused in Montevideo by Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
A few Uruguayan lawmakers tested positive for SARS-Cov-2 forcing 48 people from the national Congress to go into isolation, it was reported Monday.
Uruguay's House of Deputies Tuesday passed a resolution condemning the anti-democratic practices of Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega, who continues to place opposition politicians under arrest for allegedly planning to overthrow him.
Since 2006, the March for Diversity illuminates every year the most important avenue in Montevideo with a 'comparsa' of thousands of people who dance, celebrate and shout slogans in favor of policies for the rights of the LGBT community. In this year's edition, held on Friday, many marched with yellow and red handkerchiefs, colors chosen by the movements of activists in favor of the so-called trans law, which is under discussion in the Uruguayan Parliament. Diplomatic figures such as the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada participated in this march with their own posters and slogans.
Uruguay's ruling Broad Front coalition, despite pollster forecasts to the contrary, confirmed their dominance of local politics and are likely to enjoy a parliamentary majority, after the Sunday presidential election that left Tabare Vazquez as favorite to succeed José Mujica as head of state.
Uruguay's ruling coalition Broad Front presidential candidate Tabare Vazquez underlined on Sunday night that his political force received the most votes and is in the threshold of again having a parliamentary majority; however he anticipated he was willing to work to reach consensuses in political and social issues with other parties or groupings.
On Sunday 2.6 million Uruguayan registered voters will decide who will be their next president plus 30 Senators and 99 Lower House members. If no presidential candidate makes 50% of valid ballots plus one, the most probable result a run off takes place at the end of November between the two most voted candidates.
Uruguay president Jose Mujica believes that the next parliament to emerge from the 26 October general election will have a difficult conformation, complicating the government's performance and that is the reason why he accepted to run for a Senate seat.
Uruguay's lower house passed a marijuana legalization bill on Wednesday which now must be discussed by the Senate, most probably in October. The vote brings Uruguay one step closer to becoming the first country to legally regulate production, distribution and sale of the drug.