International

Change course or follow the same line: Uruguay elects its new president on Sunday

Change course or continue on the same path. That is the decision that Uruguayans will have to make on Sunday in elections marked by the parity that the latest polls showed.

28 days after the presidential and parliamentary elections, about 2.7 million people will go to the polls on November 24 to choose between the ruling party Álvaro Delgado and the opposition Yamandú Orsi.

From the ban to the second round to elect president in Uruguay

After none of the eleven candidates who competed in the previous instance exceeded 50% of the votes, the two most voted advanced to the second round.

This will take place between 8:00 and 19:30 local time (11:00 to 22:30 GMT) and it is expected that around 21:30 (00:30 GMT) the consultants will be able to show their first projections.

However, the latest polls presented showed a lot of parity between the candidate of the opposition Frente Amplio and the one who will represent the government coalition, made up of the ruling National Party, the Colorado Party, Cabildo Abierto, the Independent Party and the Constitutional Environmentalist Party.

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Five days after Delgado and Orsi came face to face in a mandatory debate in which they presented their main proposals for the period 2025-2030, the South American country began to live the electoral ban.

In this way, the parties will not be able to carry out acts of proselytist propaganda.

An instance that only Tabaré Vázquez eluded

The second round of the Uruguayan presidential elections was held for the first time in 1999.

A plebiscite held in 1996 reformed the Constitution of the South American country and introduced changes such as the creation of primary elections and the ballot on the last Sunday of November.

This puts the two most voted candidates face to face in the presidential and parliamentary elections that are held on the last Sunday of October every five years and are held provided that neither has exceeded 50% of the votes in that instance.

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Through that channel, the Colorado Party maintained the Government in the 1999 elections and did so with a historical surname.

Jorge Batlle became the fourth Batlle to be president of the South American country, after his great-grandfather Lorenzo Batlle, his great-uncle José Batlle y Ordóñez and his father, Luis Batlle Berres.

On October 31, 2004, Tabaré Vázquez went again for the Presidency and managed to get the left to win for the first time in Uruguay by obtaining 51.68% of the votes in the presidential and parliamentary elections.

That triumph of the Frente Amplio is so far the only one that got a game without the need for a second round, since it was implemented.

Five years later, José Mujica defeated Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera in the second round and in 2014 Tabaré Vázquez joined the select group of presidents who ruled Uruguay on two occasions by beating Luis Lacalle Pou.

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The current president acceded to this instance again in 2019 and on that occasion defeated the Frenteamplista Daniel Martínez.

Delgado and Orsi

Now, Delgado and Orsi will be the ones who will go hand in hand in search of access to the Presidency for the period 2025-2030.

Veterinarian by profession, the first of them will try to keep the chair currently occupied by Lacalle Pou, of whom he was his secretary of the Presidency between 2020 and 2023.

Previously, Delgado was a deputy in the period 2005-2015 and senator between that year and 2020.

For his part, the History professor Orsi will go for the Presidency after having been mayor (head of the local government) of the department (province) of Canelones between 2015 and 2020.

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He also held the position of secretary general there between 2005 and 2015.

International

Air Canada suspends JFK flights amid soaring fuel costs linked to Iran conflict

Air Canada announced on Friday that it will suspend its flights from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June through late October, citing rising jet fuel costs driven by the conflict involving Iran.

“Since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, some routes and less profitable flights have become economically unviable, so we are making adjustments accordingly,” the airline said in a statement.

Despite the suspension, the carrier confirmed it will continue operating 34 daily flights from six Canadian cities to New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Air Canada expects to resume its JFK operations after October 25.

Meanwhile, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid a temporary ceasefire in the region. However, jet fuel shortages could persist even if the truce holds.

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Fuel accounts for between 25% and 30% of operating costs for most airlines, and carriers worldwide have responded to the crisis by raising fares and suspending select routes due to safety and profitability concerns.

International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

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While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.