
Argentina’s debt problems threatens to worsen trade tensions in Mercosur, adding to the economic woes of Brazil in a tense election year and causing headaches in Uruguay as the Argentine economy looks likely to plunge deeper into recession.

The private sectors from Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia agreed to form a business lobby, Urupabol, with the purpose of actively combating protectionist policies and other obstacles implemented inside Mercosur, mainly by senior members Argentina and Brazil.

Uruguay's president Jose Mujica will be attending the next Mercosur presidential summit scheduled for Tuesday, 29 July in Caracas, when the creation of an economic forum Mercosur/ALBA/PetroCaribe will for consideration as part of the agenda.

The IMF's chief economist warned that a default by Argentina in its battle with holders of its defaulted debt may hurt its economy and the global financial system. Argentina continues to face the fallout of its 2001 debt default, which plunged the country into an economic crisis it is still battling to overcome.

Uruguay's president Jose Mujica proposal to shelter Syrian children refugees from the ongoing Middle East conflict has the support of 66% of the population and is rejected by 23%, according to a public opinion poll released this week by a local television channel.

Global Summits Organizer IRN and Grupo BG de Eventos will be launching the inaugural Uruguay Oil & Gas 2014 Summit which will take place on 17th-18th November in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. This Summit follows the announcement of the third oil bidding round, the Ronda Uruguay III.

Mercosur is “not working” and is “stalled” admitted Uruguayan president Jose Mujica and blamed the situation on different visions of the block's functioning, according to an interview with Folha de Sao Paulo.

Former Uruguayan president Julio Maria Sanguinetti and founder of the Montevideo Circle Foundation said Mercosur was not created to become a fortress of hyper protectionism but rather to promote competition and integration with flexibility. Sanguinetti participated in a round of conferences of the Montevideo Circle Foundation in Paraguay.

President Jose Mujica underlined the strong identity of Uruguay with the Paraguayan people, but also recalled no the “immense debt that we never settled or will we ever be able to settle for having participated in the War of the Triple Alliance”.

Two strong favourites have emerged to host the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. The UK is hopeful that they can follow Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 and bring the cup to the country for the first time since 1966.