Uruguay

• Saturday, December 14th 2013 - 06:58 UTC

  Pot fumes: Mujica calls UN official, 'liar', after he accused Uruguay of 'pirate attitudes'

  

  President Jose Mujica reacted furiously to the accusation of Uruguay as a 'pirate state' from the UN official in charge of drugs' control, who was protesting the legalization of marihuana and because allegedly he was never received by the Uruguayan leader. Mujica bluntly replied, leaving aside all nice talk, “tell that old man to stop lying and stop showing off to the stands”.

• Saturday, December 14th 2013 - 06:40 UTC

  A Nobel peace prize for Uruguay for legalizing cannabis

  

  Uruguay's recent passing of a bill legalizing cannabis from production to distribution has generated headlines and controversy worldwide. The basics of the law is that current methods to combat drugs addiction and trade have failed completely and new options should be experimented.
  The Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins writes on the controversy.

• Wednesday, December 11th 2013 - 22:53 UTC

  First obstacle for Uruguay's marijuana bill: it violates international convention on drug control

  

  Uruguay's decision to legalize marijuana is in violation of an international convention on drug control, the Vienna-based International Narcotics Control Board, INCB, which monitors government compliance with such treaties said on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, December 11th 2013 - 04:31 UTC

  Uruguay becomes first country to oversee production and sale of marijuana

  

  Uruguay's Senate has approved ground-breaking legislation legalizing marijuana, becoming the first nation in the world to oversee the production and sale of the drug. After a marathon debate, the 16 senators from the ruling coalition out of 29 lawmakers voted Tuesday in favor of the legislation championed by President Jose Mujica, who must now sign it into law.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:38 UTC

  Maracana, July1950, when Uruguay silenced 200.000 Brazilian fans at the Cup's final

  

  Pele, the only person to win three World Cups as a player, said Brazil will enter next year’s tournament with more humility than when the country last hosted soccer’s greatest event in 1950. On 16 July that year Brazil was shocked 2-1 by Uruguay in the final game at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in what is considered as a national tragedy by some Brazilians.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 18:49 UTC

  Inflation in Uruguay during November climbs 0.2%, but still above target

  

  Consumer prices in Uruguay during November increased 0.2% over the previous month with annual inflation reaching 8.51% compared to the 8.67% of October. Nevertheless in the eleven months of 2013, consumer prices have climbed 9.31%, which is a whole percentage point higher than the same period a year ago, according to the latest release from the country's Stats Office, INE.

• Wednesday, December 4th 2013 - 01:22 UTC

  Fitch creates an Argentine/Uruguay domestic credit rating branch: FIX-SCR

  

  Fitch Argentina announced this week that industry pioneer Douglas Elespe has become its CEO/Managing Director and new venture partner, and will lead the company's shift to an Argentine and Uruguayan domestic credit ratings business focus under the new name FIX-SCR. The financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.

• Monday, December 2nd 2013 - 19:49 UTC

  Inflation and competitiveness, Uruguay's main challenges for next year and a slower growing economy

  

  Inflation and competitiveness are the two main macroeconomic challenges faced by Uruguay and does not anticipate an easy 'soft landing', at 3% growth rates in coming years, according to Deloitte during a conference on “Prospects for 2014 and economic challenges for the next government”.

• Monday, December 2nd 2013 - 18:38 UTC

  Uruguay after another soy-crop record since area planted increased 100.000 hectares

  

  Uruguay's soy beans coming crop will have increased 100.000 hectares, reaching between 1.3 and 1.35 million hectares, a new record according to the latest report from the National Seeds Institute, Inase. This compares with the 1.2 to 1.25 million hectares of the last crop.

• Monday, December 2nd 2013 - 15:26 UTC

  Uruguay fishing industry in deep trouble: high costs, poor catches, labor conflicts

  

  High costs, poor catches and labor conflicts are threatening the competitiveness of Uruguay's fishing sector which has seen exports drop considerably plus fears of a possible closure of Nigeria which in the last 18 months has become the main market.