MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan congressman takes leave of absence amid harassment allegations

Olmos said the news took him by surprise

Uruguayan Broad Front (Frente Amplio - FA) Congressman Gustavo Olmos was reported to have incurred in sexual and labor harassment, according to a complaint filed against him by his substitute Martina Casás, it was reported Sunday in Montevideo.

Olmos, who belongs to the FA's Fuerza Renovadora faction, was denounced within the party's Marea Frente Amplista group. The case has not been yet taken to the courts.

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In this scenario, the legislator decided to take a leave of absence from Parliament and requested that the case be submitted to the Frente Amplio's board of conduct. He also said the news took him by surprise because and with his substitute he was working side by side, without any problems. Casás will take over his position in Congress on an interim basis.

Casás filed her complaint before the FA's Gender Commission Chairwoman Patricia González, from where the case reached party authorities.

FA spokesman Juan Andrés Roballo told Telemundo that the case had been submitted to the FA's Political Conduct Tribunal to investigate the matter. Both Olmos and Casás are expected to be summoned by the body to testify.

He is not the first legislator accused of sexual abuse this year. The Uruguayan justice system ordered in October the preventive imprisonment for 180 days for the pro-government senator Gustavo Penadés, after having charged him with multiple sexual crimes against minors.