Argentina and Uruguay are struggling to settle their contentious debate over two huge Uruguayan pulp-mill projects across the Uruguay River from the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú. Attending the inauguration of new Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in Santiago, Argentine President Néstor Kirchner and Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez told reporters on March 11 that they would organize a 90-day negotiating period to bridge their differences. A week later, however, it remained unclear when the talks would be held. Disagreement over the projects’ potential environmental impacts has fueled nationalistic fervor in both countries, testing relations between governments that share a center-left political bent. (See “Uruguayan pulp-mill plans worry Argentina”—EcoAméricas, April ’04 and “Pulp plans still straining Uruguayan-Argentine ties”—EcoAméricas, Oct. ’05.) At... [Log in to read more]