Uruguay

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 15:24 UTC

  Mujica says Mercosur is 'seriously impaired” and admits resignation in relations with Argentina

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica said that Mercosur is “seriously impaired” but it also has its strong points, and the fact Paraguay resumes full membership is very positive. Mujica was interviewed by a government financed newspaper, La República and again referred to the postponed Mercosur summit and the deteriorated relations with Argentina.

• Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 05:24 UTC

  Outbreak of “Clostridium Difficile” in Uruguay's largest hospital; situation under control

  

  Uruguay's main university hospital, suffering from an outbreak of the highly contagious bacteria “Clostridium Difficile” has been recommended “to suspend new entries to the sections involved, restrict visits and extreme hygiene measures” plus an epidemiological test of patients and staff.

• Friday, January 17th 2014 - 06:30 UTC

  Uruguay police officers training in 'restorative justice' methods in Cambridge

  

  Fourteen police officers from Uruguay are currently attending courses at the Criminology Institute at Cambridge University, as part of their training for the country's Citizens' Security program, implemented with the support from the Inter American Development bank.

• Thursday, January 16th 2014 - 09:04 UTC

  Open pit mining project in Uruguay questioned in Parliament and by environmentalists

  

  A major open pit mining project in Uruguay to extract and export magnetite (a kind of iron ore) and which the government of President Jose Mujica plans to instrument this month has been exposed to a battery of criticism because the administration refuses to show the terms of the contract and farm groups argue there is no final environment impact assessment study.

• Wednesday, January 15th 2014 - 19:24 UTC

  Uruguay among the world's ten countries with highest inflation

  

  Uruguay is ranked among the world's ten countries with the highest inflation, having climbed from position 15 to 10 last year, only surpassed in Latin America by Venezuela and Argentina. Last year Uruguay ended with an inflation of 8.52%, well above the 4% to 6% target, and according to Central bank officials “it remains the main challenge for the country's economic policy”.

• Tuesday, January 14th 2014 - 07:50 UTC

  China becomes the leading market for Uruguayan meat exports

  

  Uruguay's meat exports slid 6.5% in volume during 2013 compared to the previous year, but the big news is that China has become the main client for beef, followed by Nafta countries, (US, Canada and Mexico), according to the latest release from the country's National Meat Institute, INAC.

• Tuesday, January 14th 2014 - 07:46 UTC

  A 25-ton dead sperm whale finally removed from a Montevideo beach

  

  The remains of a sperm whale that washed ashore in one of Montevideo's beaches were finally hauled in a truck for burial in a municipal dump where a huge hole was drilled for the 16 meters long cetacean.

• Tuesday, January 14th 2014 - 00:08 UTC

  Bad years and non encouraging prospects for Uruguay fisheries exports

  

  Following on two years of poor performance and results, Uruguay's fishing industry is expected to face similar conditions in 2014, with ongoing labor disputes and tougher international markets particularly the European Union and Nigeria in Africa, which absorbed most of the country's hake, croaker and sea trout.

• Monday, January 13th 2014 - 07:35 UTC

  A frustrated Mujica calls for a readjustment of Mercosur legal framework

  

  Uruguayan president José Mujica said that members of Mercosur must readjust the block's legal framework ‘to make it work’ so that differences among its partners can be resolved in an institutional framework. He insisted on a review and amendment of mechanisms with greater flexibility and more adapted to current circumstances.

• Tuesday, January 7th 2014 - 06:05 UTC

  For second year running Uruguay manages deflation in December, keeps inflation in one digit

  

  Uruguay again managed a December with deflation, (as happened exactly a year ago) with the consumer prices index down 0.72%, helping to bring 2013 inflation to 8.52%, according to the official stats office, INE. This is the sixth year in the last ten that Uruguay despite an unprecedented decade long growth-boom and abundant revenue overshoots its inflation target.