Falkland Islands lawmaker Dick Sawle is expected on Tuesday in Brasília, capital of Brazil where he will explain the Islanders’ decision to remain a British Overseas Territory and give an idea of life in the South Atlantic archipelago, its economy and social achievements as a prosperous, democratic community.
Uruguay’s Deputy Economy minister Alejandro Antonelli denied any ‘short-circuits’ in the government regarding the Royal Bank of Canada’s raid incident, just a ‘matter of differences’, but insisted that the whole issue is positive for Uruguay since it shows the country’s commitment in combating money laundering and other possible financial crimes.
The first gay couple to register to marry in Uruguay when a new equal marriage law took effect on 5 August, have married as gay rights activists celebrate in the country. Sergio Miranda and Rodrigo Borda married in Montevideo last Thursday accompanied by 30 friends and family, US Ambassador Julissa Reynoso and around a hundred members of the media.
Uruguay is closer to joining the Bolivarian alliance for the Americas, (ALBA) than the Pacific Alliance said Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro to a packed audience with government officials, local businesspeople and diplomats. He also argued that the ‘tail wind’ that has been so favourable for Latinamerica ‘was over two years ago”.
Vice-president Danilo Astori said he was surprised at the way events unfolded ending with the decision from the Royal Bank of Canada of leaving Uruguay, but also concerned about the international impact of such a move, triggered by a ‘disorderly’ raid in its offices.
Uruguay has become one of the dearest countries in the region taking into account prices of goods and services according to a survey in eleven cities done by the Group of Newspapers from the Americas, (GDA) a network of the main dailies in the continent.
Mercosur as an only market ‘remains a fiction’ since it is missing the effective implementation and ironing out of trade and macroeconomic reforms, said Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro, who went on to promote “double and triple membership” for Mercosur members.
Uruguayan Vice-President Danilo Astori said Mercosur must decisively address the signing of a free trade agreement with the United States, but also admits that “opportunities must be built”.
The Royal Bank of Canada, RBC, is abandoning Uruguay following a raid in its offices at Zonamerica ordered by a Uruguayan magistrate on request from Argentina during which computers, documents on clients and even cell phones from staff were seized by the intervening party which included on-watching Argentine treasury police.
Conservative businessman Horacio Cartes was sworn in as president of Paraguay on Thursday, amid slowly improving relations with South American neighbors, and Mercosur members, damaged by the 2012 removal of populist President Fernando Lugo, who was impeached on incompetence.