Uruguay

• 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”.

• Monday, March 19th 2012 - 06:51 UTC

  Uruguay strongly advocates for “free and fluid trade” in Unasur meeting

  

  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.

• Monday, March 19th 2012 - 06:41 UTC

  Two male nurses charged with ‘dozens of mercy killings’ in two Uruguayan hospitals

  

  Especially aggravated murder charges were filed against two male nurses Sunday and a female nurse was charged with covering up a crime in a case involving more than a dozen deaths at two Uruguayan hospitals, judicial officials said.

• Sunday, March 18th 2012 - 19:59 UTC

  Paraguay calls on Argentina for “reflection and dialogue” regarding trade restrictions

  

  The Paraguayan government called for “reflection and dialogue” from the Argentine government in order to find a solution to the commercial restrictions in place on imported products, “we don’t need any more walls”.

• Sunday, March 18th 2012 - 19:48 UTC

  Unasur supports Argentine Malvinas and call on UK to resume negotiations

  

  Foreign ministers from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) reaffirmed their support for Argentina over the Malvinas Islands sovereignty dispute at the annual meeting held in Asunción, Paraguay.

• Saturday, March 17th 2012 - 06:13 UTC

  EU/Mercosur will exchange market access proposals when Brazil chairs the round

  

  The European Union and Mercosur concluded Friday in Brussels the eighth round of negotiations for a free trade agreement with the commitment to begin exchanging market access proposals at the next meeting.

• Friday, March 16th 2012 - 19:05 UTC

  Falklands tells Argentina latest intimidation and bullying efforts are entirely counter-productive

  

  The elected government of the Falkland Islands said on Friday it regrets the latest attempt by the Argentine government to economically undermine the Islanders way of life, which is yet another example of intimidation and bullying towards a country of 3.000 people.