LatinNews Daily - 18 February 2026

*Uruguay’s senate has begun discussions on the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur South American trade bloc. The senate’s special commission for the Mercosur-EU agreement received Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin yesterday (17 February) to begin discussions prior to a vote on whether to ratify the deal. The Council of the EU voted on 9 January to approve the trade agreement and partnership agreement with Mercosur. The deal must now be ratified by the legislatures of the South American bloc’s member states (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay), as well as by the European Parliament, where there is significant opposition, particularly from French lawmakers. Bolivia, the final full member of Mercosur, does not need to ratify the agreement to make it effective given negotiations were concluded before its July 2024 accession.