Tuesday, November 8th 2011 - 08:41 UTC

Mujica says Argentina was not involved in the “tax haven” claim incident

Uruguay’s President, José Mujica said on Monday that Argentina had nothing to do with the comment made by France’s leader Nicolas Sarkozy indicating that Uruguay was a “tax haven.”

The Uruguayan president is scheduled to meet with his peers, Dilma Rousseff and Cristina Fernandez

In conversations with Uruguayan media, Mujica played down the rumours saying that President Cristina Fernández (and Brazil) had pushed several G-20 members to aim cannons at the neighbouring country due to its tax policies.

According to Uruguayan government sources Mujica was on the phone with Cristina Fernandez over the weekend. Although the issues addressed were not revealed it is believed that Sarkozy’s comments were one of them.

“I’ve taken my decisions, and for the moment I will remain quiet”, said Mujica. He added that he wasn’t sure if president Sarkozy was aware that “Uruguay has a cooperation agreement with France on financial and taxing issues”.

Last Friday, while addressing the G-20 summit, Sarkozy urged the international community to “isolate Uruguay and another list of ten countries, because it is a tax haven.”

The French president statements promptly generated a formal complaint from the Uruguayan government.

President Mujica’s wife and Senator, Lucía Topolansky, revealed that her husband will meet with Cristina Fernández and Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff “in order to clarify the whole matter”.

Mujica is scheduled to travel to Brazil Tuesday morning, while on Friday will sit down with Cristina Fernandez in Buenos Aires.

Likewise Vice-President Danilo Astori announced that Uruguay would be convening Mercosur partners to establish the rules for the exchange of fiscal and taxing information.

“Our intention is to follow a path taking into account the proposals from OEDC staff and which has two main aspects: one refers to the names of the proprietors of societies registered in the country and the other the exchange of fiscal data” said Astori.

He added Uruguay “wanted to reach an agreement calling on all Mercosur members so we can address the issues from a multilateral point of view”.

Astori made the statement following a meeting with representatives from the ruling coalition and later with opposition leaders.

“Uruguay wants to show its commitment to transparency and ensure that the tax burden is distributed as it must. And that is going to be in the framework of the Mercosur meeting and I’m convinced that we are going to find a favourable echo to that respect”.
 

Published in: Politics, Argentina, Brazil, Latin America, Uruguay.
Tags: Argentina, France, José Mujica, tax haven, Uruguay.

10 comments Feed

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1 Uncle Sam (#) Nov 08th, 2011 - 04:39 pm Report abuse
One would hope that President Mujica will have the guts to tell Sarkozy and the bloody French government to piss-off and mind their own business. It never ceases to amaze me how countries such as France and others can't mind their own damned business, and bully small wonderful countries such as Uruguay to do their bidding. A pox on the French.
2 ed (#) Nov 08th, 2011 - 06:18 pm Report abuse
Uncle Sam , but we have a problem that below are;

Nicholas SARKOZY's step father Frank G.WISNER Jr,prominent CIA
official who married his step mother Cristine de GANAY in 1977...
he served as Deputy as Deputy Executive Secretary of State under
the Cyrus VANCE ...WISNER & VANCE families also have close ties ..

Frank WISNER Jr.was the son of US's most one of notorious spies who
Frank Gardiner WISNER ( 1909 -- 1965 ) ,the mastermined behind
CIA sponsored coup which knocked the Government of M.Musaddegh
in IRAN 1953..

Frank WISNER Jr. is also the trustees of Rockefeller Trust ..
Frank WISNER Jr. also played a key role as OBAMA's special intelligence
envoy to EGYPT at the height of January 2011 protests....

Any objection-- deny Uncle Sam ?

Ahh .. Uncle Sam .. Ahh.....you don't know even (i) of intrigue.
3 Yuleno (#) Nov 08th, 2011 - 06:32 pm Report abuse
Is sarkozy a megalomaniac or a tool of the Yankees.probably both,who he doesn't like is anyone who doesn't do as he says.the same colonial arrogance in a different body,a morph.
4 ed (#) Nov 08th, 2011 - 06:43 pm Report abuse
...both..
5 Fido Dido (#) Nov 08th, 2011 - 08:25 pm Report abuse
see it like this: wolves compete with each other and distroy/kill/eat each other when it's in their interest.
6 ed (#) Nov 08th, 2011 - 08:34 pm Report abuse
The wolf is noble animal...they are all jackal--hyena flock .
7 Uncle Sam (#) Nov 08th, 2011 - 09:38 pm Report abuse
@2ed No, I don't deny one thing you have written. Remember: “ what a tangled web we weave, when at first we do decive.” I am not here to defend the USA's track record in International Relations; it is absymal. I was simply commenting on the conduct of a pompous ass, and a pompous ass of a nation attempting to browbeat a small nation into submission. Screw the “New World Order.” Uruguay should do what is in the best interests of Uruguay and screw the G-20, France, The UN and last but not least, the USA!
8 TooJai (#) Nov 09th, 2011 - 12:47 am Report abuse
Everybody knows, and of course President Kujica, that the motion comes from Argentina! Furthermore, Mujica after rejected Sarkozy's accusations called latter to the Latin America unity, and asked “If not, who will support the Falklands claims?”
9 Dorian (#) Nov 09th, 2011 - 05:22 am Report abuse
Shame on you, Uruguay. Tax havens should be invaded and annexed.
10 ChrisR (#) Nov 09th, 2011 - 12:52 pm Report abuse
@9Dorian. You write like as if you are Argentinian with all the 'invading and annexing' rhetoric. You have just fallen down the same 'I no nothing but it does not stop me telling lies' as Sarkozy.
Uruguay is making progress at stopping tax avoiders (as confirmed by the rating agencies mark up) and I think the President was giving Argentina the benefit of the doubt.
There is however in my judgement no doubt who the tax evaders are: just look at CFK and her backhanding cronies. Try a little nearer to home.

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