The Economist recently published an extremely laudatory article on the performance of the Uruguayan economy in the last fifteen years, much of which can be supported but even more needs to be rectified, quite a surprise coming from a publication known for its research rigor. The piece was titled “Uruguay’s record-setting economic growth streak; How a small country outperforms its neighbors” and was published in the March 28th edition.
The United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF) support available for trade with Uruguay has been increased to up to £4 billion, meaning an additional £2.25 billion in support for UK companies exporting to Uruguay and for Uruguayan buyers of UK goods and services.
The British publication The Economist praised Uruguay's progress and underlined its decreasing dependency from giant neighbours Brazil and Argentina.
Protesters interrupted the start on Monday of an election campaign tour by former Brazilian president Lula da Silva, who leads opinion polls but faces a lengthy jail sentence for corruption. Police had to intervene to separate some 150 protesting farmers and Lula's supporters in Bage, where the populist leader was starting a bus tour of southern Brazil ahead of October 7 elections.
A British expert in export certification is visiting Uruguay with the aim of promoting the regeneration British genetics in Uruguayan flocks. In Uruguay there are currently four sheep breeds of British origin: Suffolk, Romney Marsh, Hampshire Down and Southdown, in addition to British Texel.
Three young people who, judging by their boundless enthusiasm for all things Falkland, could be ambassadors for the Islands after only a week in Stanley and the Camp. Mauricio Giraudo from Uruguay, Marco Franceschini from Brazil and Hristo Gomez, from Chile, are this year’s winners of a competition organized each year by the British embassies in Montevideo, Brasilia and Santiago and sponsored and financed by the Falkland Islands Government.
The government of the Falkland Islands has reported that all crew members of a Taiwanese jigger which caught fire in the South Atlantic have been rescued and should be arriving in Montevideo in the coming days.
It has been a long standing consensus-secret in the Uruguayan political system that when you are elected or have been nominated to a political post, you must not forget the family or friends particularly if they are in distress. This means in practical terms that the generous Uruguayan state will incorporate you to the burgeoning bureaucracy be it at national or regional level.
The following was published in the Penguin News, “Your Letters” section in response to the Falklands government last week’s release titled “Progress made towards establishing a second commercial Falkland Islands air link”
A statement entitled ‘Progress made towards establishing a second commercial Falkland Islands air link’ released last week by the Falkland Islands Government, but too late for publication in the Penguin News, has met with a mixed reception in the Islands. While some have expressed favor others have reservations and questions as witnessed by readers’ letters in this Friday edition.