Uruguayans vote on Sunday in a presidential election with the ruling leftist party trying to fend off a young center-right challenger who promises to undo a pioneering marijuana law.
Argentina's lawyers met with a court-appointed debt mediator on Wednesday, but they attended only as officers of the court rather than representing the country in its years-old legal battle with holdout hedge funds.
A U.S. judge said on Friday Argentina must reverse the steps it has taken to evade his orders in a longstanding dispute with hedge funds over debt the country defaulted on in 2002.
Argentina deposited a $161 million bond interest payment with a newly appointed local trustee on Tuesday, the Economy Ministry said, defying a U.S. judge who held it in contempt a day earlier for taking illegal steps to meet its debt obligations.
In a rare move, a U.S. judge held Argentina in contempt on Monday, saying the country is taking "illegal" steps to evade his orders in a longstanding dispute with hedge funds over defaulted debt.
A U.S. appeals court on Friday dismissed an appeal by Citigroup Inc (C.N) and Argentina of a judge's order blocking the bank from processing payments on $8.4 billion in bonds issued under the country's local laws following its 2002 default.
Argentina said on Tuesday it had stripped Bank of New York Mellon's (BK.N) authorization to operate in the South American country, its latest move against the financial institution which obeyed a U.S. court ruling that tipped it into default.
A World Trade Organization dispute panel ruled against Argentina on Friday in a 2012 case brought by the United States, European Union and Japan against the South American country's licensing rules used to restrict imports.
Argentina on Friday accused the U.S. judge who called the country's new debt restructuring plan illegal of making "imperialist" comments against the South American nation.
The Football Association has recently banned the players and staff members of UK's official World Cup team to discuss or comment about the Falklands after Argentina's team under coach Alejandro Sabella unfurled a political statement about its claim on the islands, Daily Mail reported.
