Uruguay

• Wednesday, June 8th 2011 - 16:36 UTC

  Uruguay considers China a ‘strategic partner’ and supports a Beijing-Mercosur trade accord

  

  Uruguay sees China as a ‘strategic partner’ and has kept good relations with Beijing since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1988, said Uruguayan Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro, a former ambassador to China from 2007-2009. Almagro made the statement as Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping begun his official visit to Uruguay.

• Wednesday, June 8th 2011 - 06:37 UTC

  Air traffic in Buenos Aires and Montevideo returns to normal as ash cloud disperses

  

  Argentina’s Civil Aviation agency (ANAC) and the Secretariat of Transport announced that the Ezeiza and Aeroparque airports are “now open and operating normally” as the ash cloud spewed by Chile’s Puyehue volcano late Tuesday seemed to be moving away from the Buenos Aires City and part of the River Plate area.

• Wednesday, June 8th 2011 - 02:17 UTC

  Uruguayan homes pay highest power rates and fuel prices in South America

  

  Uruguayan homes pay the dearest rates for power in South America and the highest fuel prices in the region, including taxes, according to a paper from the Argentine energy consultants Montamat & Asociados, released last month.

• Tuesday, June 7th 2011 - 22:59 UTC

  Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Peru shoppers, most promising for retail expansion

  

  Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Peru figure among the short list of top ranked developing countries for global retail expansion. In the 10th annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), elaborated by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney, Brazil jumped to first place from number 5 in last year’s study.

• Tuesday, June 7th 2011 - 22:00 UTC

  Airlines suspend flights from Uruguay, fearing the volcanic ash cloud

  

  Flights from Uruguay’s Carrasco international airport were suspended on Tuesday until further notice because of the proximity of Chile’s Puyehue volcano ash cloud that on Monday forced similar decisions for Buenos Aires City main international and domestic air terminals.

• Tuesday, June 7th 2011 - 21:51 UTC

  Uruguay complains about low ratings from the risk agencies

  

  Economy minister Fernando Lorenzo accused rating agencies of failing to recognize the increasing strength of Uruguay’s sustained economic growth and therefore denying its investment grade status.

• Tuesday, June 7th 2011 - 06:07 UTC

  Argentina hosts first meeting of Unasur Economy and Finance Council

  

  Argentina will be hosting on Thursday the first meeting of the South American Economy and Finance Council that will bring together Economy ministers and Central bank governors from members of Unasur, Union of South American Nations.

• Saturday, June 4th 2011 - 02:40 UTC

  Hard times, even closure for some Uruguayan abattoirs, anticipated Mujica

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica warned that several abattoirs will run into deep trouble and might have to close down because of the lack of livestock ready for slaughtering. He also cautioned that “there is not much more the Executive can do”.

• Friday, June 3rd 2011 - 23:44 UTC

  Consumer inflation in Uruguay climbs to an annualized 8.53%

  

  Consumer prices in Uruguay rose sharply again in May, led by steep increases in prices at restaurants and hotels, for housing and for health costs accumulating 8.53% in the last twelve months and 4.34% in the five months of 2011.

• Friday, June 3rd 2011 - 23:19 UTC

  Greece is not Uruguay; the Athens debt case is more like Argentina, says economist

  

  Past voluntary debt re-profiling in Latin America have worked to varying degrees, but “soft” restructuring is not going to solve Greece's debt problems, according to Stuart Culverhouse, chief economist of frontier markets specialist Exotix.