Elisa Carrió, head of the centre-left Civic Coalition urged activists who are blocking a bridge linking Argentina to Uruguay to lift their protest to allow Uruguayans to vote on Sunday's presidential election to choose the successor of Tabaré Vázquez.

Environmentalists have been blocking the San Martín Bridge, linking the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú with Fray Bentos, Uruguay, to press the Uruguayan government to relocate a paper mill of Finnish company Botnia, which they claim is polluting the area.

In a communiqué released today, Carrió asked protesters to "guarantee basic human rights from citizens with the Argentine and other nationalities, including the right to travel and vote."

"We repudiate the actions of the Gualeguaychú assembly and ask for a gesture of rationality so that our brothers from Uruguay can participate in the presidential elections," the statement added.

Argentina has filed a complaint before The Hague International Court of Justice requesting the relocation of the plant, arguing that Uruguay failed to comply with the Uruguay River Treaty when it authorized the construction of the plant. A ruling in the case is expected next year.