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Uruguay confronts a powerful new threat to its palm trees: A tiny red bug
URUGUAY, JUL 24 – Uruguayan authorities formed a task force in March to tackle the weevil, which has infested half of Montevideo's 19,000 palm trees and caused $625,000 in control measures.
- On July 25, 2025, Montevideo dedicated $70,000 toward chemical treatments involving pesticides and insecticides aimed at eliminating pests within the trunks of infested palms, with the intention of preserving about 850 trees in Parque Rodó.
- The measure follows the 2022 arrival of the invasive red palm weevil from Southeast Asia, first detected near Montevideo in Canelones.
- Authorities established a task force in March 2025 and initiated vaccination programs and pheromone traps to combat the weevil's rapid spread across eight regions.
- Environment Minister Edgardo Ortuño declared the fight a national priority in May 2025, noting half of Montevideo's 19,000 palms are infected, while Estela Delgado admitted, "We are late in addressing this."
- The ongoing efforts aim to protect Uruguay's iconic palms and prevent the weevil's spread to native trees in the UNESCO biosphere reserve, potentially limiting continental infestation.
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13 Articles
13 Articles
Uruguay's palm trees under attack by bug foreign to the region
Uruguay's iconic palm trees are facing a severe threat from the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), an invasive pest from Southeast Asia. First detected in Uruguay in 2022, the insect has rapidly spread, devouring thousands of trees and alarming authorities.
·Caracas, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left9Leaning Right2Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Left
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources lean Left
75% Left
L 75%
R 17%
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