MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan Lower House expected to consider an investigation committee into 21 years of Tourism ministry affairs

The recently resigned minister German Cardoso

Uruguayan lawmakers from the ruling coalition and opposition finally agreed to propose to the full Lower House an investigation committee to analyze Tourism ministry performance and affairs from 2010 to 2021, particularly in reference to the contracting of publicity.

The eleven year span includes ministries under two currently opposition governments, (presidents Jose Mujica, 2010/15 and Tabare Vazquez, 2015/20) and the eighteen months of the recently removed German Cardoso belonging to the junior party member of the current ruling coalition.

The opposition Broad Front wanted the investigation to be limited to the 18 months of Cardoso, but the former minister now a member of the Lower House, insisted in making the investigation include his predecessors since he argues that in contracting publicity he merely repeated the tender and contracting processes previously implemented.

Members who will be making the proposal said there is “no presumption of illegality” committed by Cardoso, but anyhow that will be the job of the investigation committee.

However members of the opposition insist that there is “a presumption of illegality” regarding the 18 months of Cardoso as minister.

The fact is that publicity contracting in Uruguay has on occasions been considered as suspicious, but difficult to prove, and during the two previous opposition governments, they had sufficient votes in the Legislative to neutralize any investigation committee if it ever was formed.

In this case Cardoso insisted in the investigation committee claiming he was the target of a discredit campaign to ruin his political career and his family´s name.