Uruguay

• Thursday, November 15th 2012 - 02:08 UTC

  Uruguayan populist president Jose Mujica, as described by BBC

  

  It's a common grumble that politicians' lifestyles are far removed from those of their electorate. Not so in Uruguay. Meet the president - who lives on a ramshackle farm and gives away most of his pay.

• Tuesday, November 13th 2012 - 20:51 UTC

  Latam rapidly turning into middle class continent, says World Bank

  

  A World Bank report released Tuesday found that Latin America and the Caribbean registered a 50% jump in the number of people joining the middle class during the last decade, which was called by economists an historic achievement for a region long exposed to wealth inequality.

• Tuesday, November 13th 2012 - 00:56 UTC

  US to overtake Saudis and Russia as world’s top oil producers by 2’17, says IEA

  

  The United States is forecasted to overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world's top oil producer by 2017, the West's energy agency said on Monday. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said it saw a continued fall in US oil imports with North America becoming a net oil exporter by around 2030 and the United States becoming almost self-sufficient in energy by 2035.

• Monday, November 12th 2012 - 17:25 UTC

  Obituary Sir Rex Hunt CMG

  

  Sir Rex Hunt, who was Governor of the Falkland Islands during the 1982 Argentine invasion precipitating the Falklands War, has died aged 86, in Stockton-On-Tees, where he had lived in retirement.

• Thursday, November 8th 2012 - 07:23 UTC

  Former Uruguayan presidents disenchanted with Mercosur but divided on the path to follow

  

  Four former elected Uruguayan presidents openly discussed Mercosur revealing an overall disenchantment with the regional political and trade group but with different emphasis as to what was the path to follow.

• Tuesday, November 6th 2012 - 18:22 UTC

  Uruguay confirms in Argentina incentives for arriving tourists this summer season

  

  The Uruguayan government confirmed on Monday a raft of measures to attract Argentine tourists and compensate the restrictions in Argentina to purchase foreign currency (dollar-clamp) and the 15% retention fund for credit or debit cards operations outside the country.

• Tuesday, November 6th 2012 - 06:59 UTC

  Mujica after in-depth discussion on ‘a real integration of Mercosur” with Chavez

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica has plans to meet two, probably three times before the end of the year with his peer from Venezuela, Hugo Chavez to address “a real integration” of Mercosur, not limited to trade, but at the same time admitting that Venezuela is rapidly becoming one of the main markets for Uruguayan exports.

• Monday, November 5th 2012 - 19:13 UTC

  Uruguay expects 243 cruise calls this season, up 9.3% over 2011/12

  

  Uruguay expects 243 calls of cruise vessels during this summer 2012/13 season (October/April) which means, if confirmed there will be a 9.3% increase over the same period in the 2011/12 season. The information published in the Uruguayan presidency web says Montevideo expects 131 calls while Punta del Este 112.

• Saturday, November 3rd 2012 - 04:20 UTC

  IMF top marks for Uruguay’s economy but beware of inflation and wage indexation

  

  An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission headed by Ulric Erickson von Allmen visited Uruguay from October 22 to November 2 to conduct the country’s annual Article IV consultation. At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Erickson von Allmen division chief in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department issued the following statement in Montevideo:

• Friday, November 2nd 2012 - 06:36 UTC

  Dollar plunges against the Uruguayan Peso in October; massive inflow of capital

  

  The US dollar suffered in Uruguay during October its greatest fall since January 2009 following on the increase of the Central bank basic rate to 9% at the end of September, which turned Uruguayan bonds far more attractive for foreign investors.