Uruguay

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:51 UTC

  Chavez confirms Dilma’s invitation to Mercosur meeting in Rio on July 31

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said he had talked with his peer from Brazil Dilma Rousseff who confirmed the invitation to an extraordinary meeting of Mercosur next July 31 in Rio do Janeiro.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 06:44 UTC

  Argentine collar clamp has sentenced businessman ‘trapped’ in Uruguay

  

  An Argentine businessman who was sentenced in Uruguay to home arrest following a car accident in which one person died remains at the location of the crime because his family in Argentina have been unable to purchase the 5.000 US dollars bail needed for his release.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 06:16 UTC

  Chinese electric-battery buses for Uruguay; the first arrive at end of 2012

  

  China’ BYD has inked another strategic deal for its electric bus products, this time in Uruguay with one of the country’s leading tourism companies. The agreement was witnessed by Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica.

• Thursday, July 19th 2012 - 07:52 UTC

  Mercosur ratifies before review tribunal decision to suspend Paraguay

  

  Mercosur full members Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are insisting with their decision to sanction the Paraguayan government following the impeachment and removal of former president Fernando Lugo

• Wednesday, July 18th 2012 - 09:30 UTC

  Mercosur tribunal will rule on Paraguay’s appeal questioning suspension

  

  Mercosur Review Standing Tribunal admitted the demand presented by the government of President Federico Franco against the suspension of Paraguay and thus object the incorporation of Venenzuela as full member of the regional block

• Tuesday, July 17th 2012 - 20:35 UTC

  Uruguay’s 2011/12 rice harvest reaches 1.4 million tons with 7.850 kilos/ha yields

  

  Uruguay’s area to be planted with rice in the coming 2012/13 season is estimated at 179.000 hectares, slightly down from the 181.400 of this year, according to the country’s Department of Agriculture Statistics (DIEA) and based on a poll following the 2011/12 harvest.

• Tuesday, July 17th 2012 - 01:38 UTC

  Top Uruguayan university dumps Dean on homosexual ‘anomaly’ controversy

  

  The University of Montevideo accepted the resignation of who had been nominated as Dean following the controversy triggered when in an interview she described homosexuality as an “anomaly” and added this condition “hampers” teaching staff contracting.

• Monday, July 16th 2012 - 07:24 UTC

  Uruguayan Central bank poll shows economy is expected to grow at slower pace

  

  The Uruguayan economy is set to grow 3.57% in 2012 which is below the government’s forecast according to the latest analysts and businesspeople poll published last Friday by the central bank.

• Monday, July 16th 2012 - 03:15 UTC

  Mujica back steps: cannabis legal only “if 60% of public opinion supports idea”

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica has back stepped on his initiative to legalize marihuana conditioning it to an “ample support from public opinion”, at least 60%. The initiative was announced a few weeks ago during the Rio+20 summit and sent shockwaves in the region and worldwide.

• Monday, July 16th 2012 - 03:05 UTC

  Mercosur reduced to a group “of bear-hugging and kissing compañeros”

  

  The influential British business and politics magazine The Economist anticipates that following the latest decisions by Mercosur, the South American group has little if any future. The Economist argues that the mounting protectionism and the rule-breaking admission of Venezuela have fatally undermined a once-promising trade block.