Uruguay

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 06:47 UTC

  Uruguay against any Falklands’ blockade; supports trade with the Islands

  

  Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro said that the Uruguayan government does not oppose trade with the Falkland Islands and any undertaking to that effect by the private sector is welcome since “Uruguay does not agree with any commercial or economic blockade of the Islands”.

• Thursday, March 29th 2012 - 04:05 UTC

  First Argentine invasion plan of Falklands in the sixties included shipping all Islanders to Montevideo

  

  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.

• Wednesday, March 28th 2012 - 17:06 UTC

  Argentine radicals planned to ‘capture” Falklands’ conflict vessel in Montevideo

  

  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.

• Saturday, March 24th 2012 - 08:51 UTC

  Uruguay’s economy slows in fourth quarter but expands a “very good” 5.7% in 2011

  

  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.

• Wednesday, March 21st 2012 - 06:57 UTC

  Schmallenberg disease outbreak in Europe: Uruguay bans import of genetic material

  

  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.

• Wednesday, March 21st 2012 - 04:41 UTC

  Next Mercosur summit in Mendoza, June 26/28; Brazil takes the relay

  

  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.

• Tuesday, March 20th 2012 - 05:05 UTC

  Mujica promises to “fight to the death” for the future of Mercosur

  

  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.

• Monday, March 19th 2012 - 23:23 UTC

  Philip Morris sues Uruguay cigarette-labeling claiming violation of investment treaty

  

  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.

• Monday, March 19th 2012 - 06:57 UTC

  Moody’s confirms Uruguay closer to investment grade rating based on debt management

  

  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.

• Monday, March 19th 2012 - 06:54 UTC

  Recalling the phrase “Argentines are crooks from the first to the last”

  

  “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”.