Uruguay tops the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index in South America and is only second to Costa Rica in Latinamerica and ahead of Chile and Argentina. However Latinamerica’s best placed countries in the index which defines prosperity as wealth and wellbeing are in the thirties out of a total list of 104.
A run off at the end of November was the result of Sunday’s presidential election in Uruguay since no candidate managed 50% plus one of the votes, as had been anticipated by most pollsters.
An estimated 2.6 million out of a population of 3.2 million Uruguayans are registered to vote on Sunday’s election that will decide on the successor of President Tabare Vazquez and a new parliament. Voting in Uruguay is compulsory.
Uruguay’s Botnia pulp mill in Fray Bentos and the eucalyptus plantation forestry company Forestal Oriental Uruguay have been transferred to UPM which is one of the world’s leading forest industry groups.
Former Uruguayan military dictator retired General Gregorio Alvarez was condemned this week to 25 years in jail for his involvement in the deaths of leftist activists and repeated violation of human rights during the 1973-85 dictatorship.
Uruguay signed on Friday the first risk contract for the exploration of hydrocarbons in the north of the country, the first ever of its kind. US company Schuepbach Energy from Dallas will be looking for possible traces of natural gas in lutite sedimentary rocks during a two year period in an area of 10.000 square kilometres.
Brazil's government managed oil and gas corporation Petrobras and Repsol-YPF have been awarded a contract to explore for natural gas and oil off Uruguay's coast announced the country’s oil firm Ancap.
Uruguay’s coming Sunday presidential election is proving to be more nerve-racking and difficult to forecast than anticipated, with the ruling coalition just a few inches away from repeating in spite of the falling performance of the main opposition candidate.
Uruguay as the natural gateway to Mercosur, --South America’s main trading block-- will be the top issue to be discussed at the SeaCargo Americas AirCargo Americas Conference special seminar to he held November 5th in Miami with the participation of hemispheric port, airport and logistics leaders.
It wasn’t an issue during the electoral campaign trail and hardly mentioned in political rallies but Mercosur is high in the agenda of whoever wins next Sunday’s presidential election in Uruguay.