
Legalization will not solve the world's narcotics problem, the UN anti-drugs chief said on Monday, indicating disagreement with a decision by Uruguay to allow the growing, sale and smoking of marijuana.

Despite strong criticism from the opposition the Uruguayan government said it is prepared to receive Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on an official visit, and there is a 99% chance that this could occur next Thursday, said foreign minister Luis Almagro.

The following is an obituary published in The New York Times to honor a Uruguayan born scientist, graduated in Montevideo's Medicine School, who in his long career in the US is credited with having developed the birth control pill and the nicotine patches among other biotechnological advances.

Hugo Swire MP, FCO Minister for Latin America, will be visiting Uruguay on Wednesday 12 March where he is scheduled to hold several political and trade meetings. The minister will be returning from Santiago de Chile where he will attend the inauguration ceremony of Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.

Inflation in Uruguay during February reached 1.66% which is equivalent to 9.82% in the last twelve months, the third highest in South America behind Venezuela and Argentina.

Lawmaker Jaime Trobo came out strongly is support of close links between the Falkland Islands and Uruguay in a column which he published in Mercopress underlining the ”interesting lesson of discovering a reality mostly unknown for Uruguayans despite the (Islands) geographic, cultural and historic proximity to Uruguay”.

The International Monetary Fund lowered its forecast for economic growth in Uruguay this year to 3% from its previous estimate of 3.3%, the IMF's deputy managing director said on Friday in Montevideo. Naoyuki Shinohara told reporters that the revision is due to lower growth expected in Uruguay's neighbors Argentina and Brazil and lower prices for commodities and Uruguayan exports.

Australia's Petrel Energy has confirmed the conventional oil reservoir potential of the San Gregorio and Cerrezuelo sandstones in Uruguay following detailed analysis of the Cardozo Chico core-hole samples. Petrel said that laboratory testing undertaken by Weatherford in Houston returned excellent permeability and porosity measurements.

Foreign minister Elías Jaua said that Caracas will not accept international mediation in the current situation faced by Venezuela but nevertheless thanked Uruguay's president Jose Mujica for his efforts and knowledge about what's going on in his country.

Uruguay's GDP this year is expected to expand by 3%, below the original estimate of 4%, according to Economy minister Mario Bergara currently in the United States on a tour to promote investments in the country and who was interviewed by Bloomberg.