News of uruguay

environment

Uruguay renegotiates US$3-billion pulp plant deal with Finland's UPM

17-05-2020 08:27 Environmentalists have raised concerns over the plant's impact on Uruguay River, while Argentina lost a challenge in the International Court of Justice.

Mercosur negotiations

Argentina on board for Mercosur trade talks after 'gradual change in discourse'

10-05-2020 10:00 A teleconference this Thursday assessed the courses of action on the Mercosur negotiations already concluded with the European Union, the ongoing negotiations with Canada, Korea, Singapore and Lebanon, and the deepening of agreements already signed with Israel and India.

Fight against virus

Famous Andes crash survivor building virus ventilators

27-04-2020 07:00 Uruguayan Doctor Roberto Canessa, one of the 16 survivors of an air plane crash in the Chilean Andes in 1972, has developed a rudimentary ventilator to help patients, partnering up with robotic engineers and doctors.

MERCOSUR TRADE BLOC

Opposition slams government's decision to pull out of Mercosur trade talks

26-04-2020 09:34 Citing economic policy priorities and the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, President Alberto Fernandez’s administration has withdrawn from ongoing and future talks involving the Mercosur trade bloc.

Diplomatic effort

Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay jointly repatriate 386 people

15-04-2020 00:25 Group had been affected by the closure of respective borders and cancellations of commercial flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sport chaos

Uruguayan football federation lays off 400, including coach Tabárez

29-03-2020 18:44 All employees of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), including coach Tabarez, will receive unemployment insurance benefits since activities were suspended due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Covid-19 death toll

Uruguay reports first coronavirus-linked death

29-03-2020 18:36 Uruguay reported its first death linked to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, a former minister and ally of the ruling party, the government said.

Coronavirus pandemic

Brazil and Uruguay agree to close border for 30 days

23-03-2020 08:39 Only Brazilian citizens or residents, as well as Uruguayans who have Brazilian spouses or children, may enter from the neighbouring country.

Coronavirus pandemic

Paralysis for Latin America with lockdowns, border closures

20-03-2020 12:30 Brazil closes land borders and Argentina enters nationwide lockdown, as Mexico and Peru report their first virus deaths.

Border with Argentina closed

Brazil closes nearly all land borders for 15 days

19-03-2020 15:11 Ministerial decree says authorities blocking entry "by road or land" from all neighbouring countries, with the exception of Uruguay to the south.

Coronavirus Pandemic

Uruguay closes borders with Argentina in bid to block coronavirus

17-03-2020 20:33 Uruguayan government decrees state of health emergency and the partial closure of borders; number of confirmed cases rises to 50.

Coronavirus pandemic

Venezuela puts seven states in coronavirus quarantine

16-03-2020 09:32 Latin America has seen an acceleration in reported cases, with more than 550 people now infected and seven deaths, including the first in Guatemala.

Sport

The surprising rise of climbing in flat Uruguay

16-03-2020 08:00 Despite Uruguay's terrain lacking significant mountains, sport climbing is a growing activity in the country, and discovering it is a challenge even for the locals.

Coronavirus outbreak

Uruguay shuns cruise ship arriving from Buenos Aires over coronavirus fears

13-03-2020 14:21 Uruguay turned away a cruise ship at a popular Atlantic coast resort Friday on grounds that it was unable to screen the 3,000 passengers on board for cases of coronavirus.

Uruguay exits Unasur

Uruguay withdraws from Unasur and suspends TIAR exit

11-03-2020 13:40 Foreign policy shift under new leader Luis Lacalle Pou, whose government describes the Unasur bloc as "an organisation that in fact has ceased to function.”

Mercosur's integration

'Very important' nations seeking Mercosur trade deals, says Uruguay official

09-03-2020 13:45 Potential trade partners are pursuing regional commercial bloc after a sweeping deal with the European Union showed most of its members are open to business, says Ernesto Talvi.

Gruesome discovery

Human remains found at Marcelo Balcedo's property in Uruguay

04-03-2020 12:09 Human remains in a state of decomposition were found at the Punta del Este home of Balcedo, a controversial trade unionist who has been accused of money-laundering, smuggling, and arms-trafficking.

Sport in Uruguay

Glory seekers Peñarol branch out into cricket and rugby

04-03-2020 08:04 Uruguay's most successful football club is aiming for titles in cricket and rugby too.

Lacalle Pou Inauguration

Center-right president takes office in Uruguay

02-03-2020 09:55 Luis Lacalle Pou, son of former Uruguayan president, built a diverse coalition during the November elections to narrowly win the office.

Handover in Uruguay

Uruguay's Frente Amplio leaves office after 15 years of progressive rule

28-02-2020 16:36 Left-leaning coalition introduced a string of progressive measures – including marriage equality and the legalisation of marijuana – under president Tabaré Vázquez (2005-2010, 2015-2020) and José ‘Pepe’ Mujica (2010-2015).

HANDOVER POWER

Lacalle Pou to deliver Uruguay's first conservative government in 15 years

28-02-2020 14:35 The son of former Uruguayan president Luis Alberto Lacalle will take office on Sunday, ending 15 years of rule by the left-leaning Frente Amplio coalition.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

Fernández to meet Uruguay leader Luis Lacalle Pou next month

18-02-2020 15:08 Argentine leader will miss Uruguayan leader's inauguration on March 1 due to clash with congressional sessions, but he will travel to Montevideo a day or two afterwards.

URUGUAY TAX REFORM

Got US$500,000 and 90 days? Uruguay might have an offer for you

30-01-2020 16:46 President-elect Luis Lacalle Pou is considering changes in tax-residency rules to woo people to neighbouring Uruguay.

TRADE TENSIONS

Mercosur braces for change amid calls for new trade rules

18-01-2020 09:19 Regional trade bloc faces uncertain future, with Argentina now in the minority and Uruguay and Brazil seeking the right to secure trade deals outside the bloc’s remit

by Fermin Koop

Argentine exodus?

'Pepe' Mujica rejects Lacalle Pou's tax incentive for Argentines

17-01-2020 16:40 Former president rejects incoming leader's idea of tempting Argentines over the Río de la Plata and said efforts should focus instead on investing Uruguayan capital back into the country.

UNDER-23 TOURNAMENT

Top stars miss out on Olympic football qualifying tournament

16-01-2020 20:03 Tournament is not an official FIFA event, and so clubs have no obligation to make their players available.

DRUG-TRAFFICKING

Four arrested in US$1 billion-plus cocaine seizure in Uruguay

30-12-2019 13:27 Authorities found 5.9 tons of cocaine, 4.4 tons of which was packed into cargo containers in the South Atlantic port of Montevideo.

MERCOSUR SUMMIT

Tensions loom large at Macri's final Mercosur summit

05-12-2019 18:14 Macri bids farewell to Mercosur at summit in Brazil, with regional bloc reeling from US steel and aluminum tariffs and tensions between Bolsonaro and Alberto Fernández.

FUTURE OF MERCOSUR?

Changing Mercosur bloc meets in Brazil after US tariffs blow

05-12-2019 07:26 Focus of bloc's 55th summit – the last for President Mauricio Macri – looked set to be the arrival of Alberto Fernández in office. The Mercosur now has more immediate concerns: Donald Trump.

URUGUAYAN ELECTIONS

Uruguay swings to the right as Luis Lacalle Pou wins presidential race

30-11-2019 11:44 Frente Amplio’s Daniel Martínez gives up challenge after close-run election, bringing an end to 15 years of leftist rule.

URUGUAYAN ELECTIONS

Macri, Fernández seek 'excellent' relationship with Uruguay's next leader

29-11-2019 08:54 Alberto Fernández says relationship with conservative leader Luis Lacalle-Pou will be as good as if opponent Daniel Martínez had won election.

Uruguayan Elections

Lacalle Pou officially declared Uruguay's next president

28-11-2019 13:54 After an extremely close vote obliged the Electoral Court to execute an official recount, the conservative candidate emerges victorious by a narrow margin. His election marks a change in power and a shift to the right in Argentina's neighbouring country.

PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF

Uruguay awaits final vote count, with Lacalle Pou holding a thin lead

25-11-2019 12:47 Authorities will start an official count Tuesday that may not yield final results until November 29.

RUN-OFF IN URUGUAY

Uruguayan authorities hold off declaring winner after tight run-off

24-11-2019 23:35 Luis Lacalle Pou holds thin lead over Daniel Martínez of just over 30,000 votes, with more than 97% of all votes tallied. Officials say final result will be announced likely on "Thursday or Friday," given how tight the result is.

URUGUAYAN ELECTION

Another power shift looms in region as Uruguay votes

23-11-2019 13:04 Opposition candidate Lacalle Pou expected to defeat Frente Amplio’s Daniel Martínez in presidential run-off.

Interview

Daniel Chasquetti: 'There was a slow-motion coup d’état in Bolivia'

18-11-2019 15:27 Uruguayan political analyst says that, in Latin America, consensus breaks down when it comes to the rules of democracy.

by Leandro Dario

Neighbouring country

Fernández lends support to Martínez in Uruguay ahead of run-off

14-11-2019 19:17 The president-elect met with Uruguayan president, Tabaré Vázquez, in Montevideo. The two spoke about bilateral relations and recent events in Latin America.

Environmentalism

Greenpeace sends message to "looters of the sea" in Uruguay

01-11-2019 14:23 The environmentalist NGO blockaded South Korean industrial fishing vessels in the port of Montevideo as part of a campaign to denounce the practice worldwide.

URUGUAY ELECTION

Uruguay presidential election heads for run-off, Martínez wins first round

27-10-2019 22:01 Uruguay's presidential election concluded Sunday night without any candidate earning an outright majority of votes. Leading candidates Daniel Martínez of the Frente Amplio and Partido Nacional’s Luis Lacalle Pou will face off in a November 24 run-off.

URUGUAY ELECTIONS

Uruguay’s left-wing party faces its toughest election in 15 years

25-10-2019 21:17 Uruguayan national elections on October 27 are predicted to lead to a run-off between the leftist Broad Front, which has been in power since 2005, and the centre-right National Party.

INTERVIEW

Uruguayan frontrunner Martínez on Alberto Fernández and bilateral relations

25-10-2019 13:36 Frente Amplio candidate, who leads polls ahead of Uruguay's October 27 election, recently met with Alberto Fernández, who he calls a friend. "If we both win, we’ll look to work together," he says.

Arts

The dramatic transformation of Uruguay's National Ballet Company

18-10-2019 19:56 It's taken less than a decade for the company, known as El Sodre, to transform from a shoestring budget production into a world-class performance.

ELECTION 2019

Fernández, Martínez hail Argentina and Uruguay's 'indissoluble' bond

08-10-2019 09:45 Frente de Todos candidate declares he wants country to echo achievements of neighbouring country as he meets Frente Amplio presidential hopeful in Buenos Aires. Argentina and Uruguay will both hold general elections on October 27.

ART & CULTURE

Festival Internacional de Colonia expands for exciting second edition

05-10-2019 09:42 Internationally acclaimed Uruguayan pianist Enrique Graf returns with new line-up for second incarnation of festival. Get tickets to this cultural extravaganza soon – for it’s no longer a secret...

by Robert Cox

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

As Argentina struggles, Uruguay worries about its own economy

04-10-2019 07:00 With economic instability plaguing its neighbour across the River Plate, Uruguayans are wondering how keenly the downturn will be felt at home.

FIFA CORRUPTION SCANDAL

FIFA bans Uruguayan former vice-president for life for taking bribes

02-10-2019 13:42 FIFA says its ethics committee found Eugenio Figueredo guilty of taking bribes in 2004 and 2015 linked to commercial deals for South American competitions.

DEBT DEBATE

Alberto Fernández offers first real hint as to how he will deal with debt

28-09-2019 03:14 Frontrunner in October’s presidential vote hints at Uruguay-style solution to debt problem, adding that he expects a “serious and sensible” negotiation with creditors.

BLOOMBERG

Uruguayan beef battling to stay competitive amid crisis in Argentina

27-09-2019 09:33 Beef is Uruguay’s top export by value, with shipments rising six percent to US$1.27 billion through mid-September, although volumes have barely risen.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Austria rejects EU-Mercosur trade deal over Amazon fires

19-09-2019 09:49 Key committee in Austrian Parliament rejects draft free-trade agreement between EU and Mercosur over concerns about fires in the Amazon.

'Braxit'?

A Latin American Brexit? Analysing Brazil’s threat on Mercosur

16-09-2019 07:30 Jair Bolsonaro has said Brazil could leave Mercosur if Argentina, the second-largest economy in the customs union, pivots to the left after presidential elections in October. But how feasible is such a break?