One small ray of light came with news that the immediate, short-term future could be secured with a bridging loan of just 150m euros, compared with earlier estimates of a 230m euro loan.

BBC: Kirch holds breath as talks break up

America's bridging loan provided until the country can finalise disbursement of a new loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), helped to shore up confidence in Uruguay and meant the banks could reopen on August 5th, as planned.

ECONOMIST: America to the rescue? | The