Next week marks the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentine forces which erupted into a full blown conflict with the UK that ended 74 days later with the complete unconditional surrender of the invading forces.
An Argentine extremist group is planning to ‘capture’ a vessel which was involved in the Falklands conflict and currently flies the Uruguayan flag and operates in the port of Montevideo, as an act of vindication ahead of the coming 30th anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the Islands.
Uruguay’s economic growth slowed more than economists forecast in the fourth quarter as a refinery closure and the start of a drought trimmed a nine-year expansion; nevertheless the Central Bank said overall expansion in the twelve months of 2011 was “very good” in the current global context and just short of government’s target.
Uruguay’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has imposed a transitory ban on all genetic material imports from Europe following the outbreak of the disease Schmallenberg which attacks bovines, sheep, goats and buffalos.
The next Mercosur presidential summit is scheduled to take place next 26/28 June in the city of Mendoza, when the rotating chair will be handed for the following six months to Brazil.
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica promised on Monday to ‘fight to the death’ for the future of Mercosur in spite of the fact that the group’s junior members Uruguay and Paraguay are suffering the most as Argentina and Brazil implement growing hurdles to trade.
Measures taken by Uruguay to deter smokers have drawn a legal challenge by one of the world’s largest tobacco companies under a treaty designed to protect foreign investors, according to the Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development.
Uruguay is likely to be the next Latin American country to win an investment grade rating from Moody's Investors Service, with a review likely late this year, a senior officer from the ratings agency said on Sunday.
“You were right, or at least that is what Argentines I come across in the street tell me”, said former Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle. In effect Batlle became world famous in 2002 for his phrase describing the River Plate neighbours: “Argentines are a bunch of crooks, from the first to the last, from A to Z”.
Uruguay’s Economy minister Fernando Lorenzo called on other members of Unasur, Union of South American Nations, to ensure free trade in the region as a safeguard and guarantee for the sustained growth of country-members in time.