Former Presidents of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Uruguay José Pepe Mujica met Friday at the latter's estate outside Montevideo in an encounter that made headlines for two reasons: First, because of what two progressive leaders getting together represents, with Mujica's wife and former Uruguayan Vice President Lucía Topolansky taking part. It was CFK's first visit to Mujica's farm.
Spain's Labor Minister and Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz will be touring Argentina and Uruguay later this month to attend Yamandú Orsi's inauguration in Montevideo on March 1, among other engagements, her office in Madrid announced Thursday.
Uruguay's Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) declared a state of health alert due to an outbreak of avian influenza in Tres Isletas, in the Argentine province of Chaco, it was reported Tuesday in Montevideo. The measure seeks to protect public health and national poultry production as the malady poses risks to biodiversity, the poultry sector, and public health. It can cause sudden bird mortality, respiratory and neurological symptoms, hemorrhages, and diarrhea, it was also explained.
A Spanish outlet highlighted that the terrorist organization Islamic State (ISIS) had resurfaced in Uruguay and was planning to spread throughout the continent. However, the Ministry of the Interior in Montevideo said the video that went viral and on which those reports were based was old and that its author had already been placed in custody.
Uruguay’s outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou has refused to sign invitations for representatives from Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba to attend the inauguration of President-elect Yamandú Orsi on March 1. This decision, which follows Lacalle Pou’s longstanding stance against what he calls “dictatorial governments,” highlights a political divide between Uruguay’s current administration and the incoming leftist government.
The remains of Uruguayan soldier Rodolfo Cipriano Álvarez Suárez, who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) earlier this month while deployed on the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping MONUSCO mission, arrived in Montevideo on Thursday. A ceremony was held at Air Base No. 1, attended by President Luis Lacalle Pou and Ministers Armando Castaingdebat (Defense) and Omar Paganini (Foreign Affairs), among other high-ranking officials.
With a score of 76 points, Uruguay topped Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for the Americas - 2024 issue - released earlier this week. Amid widespread regional declines, Uruguay outperformed Canada and Barbados thanks to robust democratic institutions, high transparency, strong citizen participation, and effective environmental governance. This achievement came during President Luis Lacalle Pou's last month in office. Starting March 1, he will be succeeded by Yamandú Orsi, of the opposition Broad Front (Frente Amplio - FA).
Uruguay's National Union of Construction and Related Industries (Sunca) Secretary-General Javier Díaz said the rate of labor accidents nationwide has worsened over the past five years and blamed the departing administration of President Luis Lacalle Pou for this, amid waning collective wage bargaining conditions and high unemployment and informality.
Uruguay has been considered a leading country in renewable energy, with 98% of its energy eolic, but now has surprisingly has invited foreign companies to explore for offshore oil and gas reserves, attracting some of the heavy weights of he industry, which has generated certain controversy in the country regarding concerns about the impact on marine life and the potential damage to Uruguay’s current global standing. OilPrice, which specializes in the oil and gas industry information comments on the decision.
Argentina's Administrative Investigations Prosecutor’s Office (PIA) has identified “serious irregularities” in the bidding process for the concession of the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, a crucial trade corridor for the region. The waterway is essential for exporting agricultural products from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay to the Atlantic.