Uruguay Roundup: Cocaine seizure, US visa exemption, controlled inflation

Visa exemption into the United States

Montevideo Portal states that the United States Congress is currently considering a bill that proposes, among other things, visa exemption for Uruguayans wishing to travel to the U.S. A memorandum of cooperation was signed on Thursday between the two countries, serving as a preliminary step for the bill to become a reality. Soledad Sánchez, the administrative coordinator of the National Directorate of Migration of the Ministry of Interior, explained in a press conference that the visa exemption requires a prior electronic authorization, which takes minutes and, unlike the current process, does not require an interview.

Inflation falls within goal set by the Central Bank

In 2023, Uruguay's inflation concluded the year at 5.11%, showing a 0.11% slowdown in the final month, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reported by El País. This marked the lowest year-end inflation rate in the year-on-year comparison since 2005. The inflation rate fell within the 3 to 6% target range set by the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU), aligning with authorities' expectations. The last instance of the indicator closing within this range was in 2017 when the target was a maximum of 7%, and it concluded at 6.55%. Lowering inflation had been a primary objective for BCU authorities, and they underscored the "success" of the indicator falling within the target range, achieved in June of the preceding year.

Tourism to Uruguay increased in December

In December, according to El País, Uruguay saw an influx of 804,769 tourists, marking a 22.86% year-on-year increase compared to the same month the previous year when the number was 655,051. Concerning outbound travellers from Uruguay, December 2023 recorded a total of 689,630 tourists, reflecting a 27.77% rise from December 2022's 539,728. Remo Monzeglio, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, expressed satisfaction, attributing the positive results to efforts in promoting Uruguay in Argentina and Brazil. Monzeglio emphasized the importance of persisting in marketing efforts in Argentina amid uncertainties related to the electoral process in the neighbouring country. He also highlighted the collaboration with airlines, particularly the success of the Azul airline's route to Curitiba, which attracted affluent Brazilian tourists.

Inmates escape and climb surveillance tower

Six inmates escaped from a module at the Santiago Vázquez Prison Complex while being transferred and climbed a disused surveillance tower on the premises. The incident, confirmed by sources from the Ministry of the Interior to El Observador, occurred on Thursday. The prisoners, who had been sanctioned with the transfer due to misconduct in their module, managed to escape from the guards during their transfer across the courtyard. Once on the premises, they climbed the disused surveillance tower and remained there. Sources indicate that the inmates are protesting the transfer and are demanding to return to their original module. So far, various members of the prison staff have attempted negotiations to persuade them to come down, but they have not been successful.

Ship docked in Uruguay transported cocaine

According to Montevideo Portal, on the closing days of December, two significant cocaine seizures occurred at the Belgian port of Antwerp, totalling around 3.4 tonnes, according to information from the city's prosecutor's office. The first find occurred on December 22 when a vessel arriving from Guayaquil, Ecuador, was discovered to have 1.24 tons of cocaine in a container on board. On December 28, customs officials uncovered 2.16 tonnes of cocaine on a ship that had previously docked in Montevideo, as reported by The Brussels Times. The Antwerp Judicial Police have launched a comprehensive investigation into drug trafficking. A local journalist reported that Uruguayan authorities are aware of the events, and an inquiry is currently underway.