Versión Español
EspañolUruguay’s opposition has denounced 10 high-ranking government officials from former President Jose Mujica’s administration for suspicious business transactions with Venezuela.
National Party Congressman Jaime Trobo said he plans to request an investigation into procedures used to contract the private company Aire Fresco, whose shareholders largely belong to Uruguay’s Movement of Popular Participation.
“That was what was never clear,” Trobo said. “We never knew how Aire Fresco became practically the only negotiator.”
Aire Fresco was involved in trade between Uruguay and Venezuela, which is being investigated by officials for any sign of bribes that used to finance campaigns.
“This is not a state-to-state agreement,” Trobo said. “Instead, private businessmen are mediating. Doesn’t the ruling party (Broad Front) know that?”
According to the Uruguayan opposition, Aire Fresco charged two percent commissions for food-related business with Venezuela, a policy originally rejected by Broad Front.
Equally worrying is that a Uruguay court found in October that terrorist Omar Alaniz, Vice President of the Raul Sendic Fund Carlos Decia as well as Congressman Daniel Placeres were all collaborators in the business negotiations.
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Congressman Gonzalo Mujica said the court pointed out that there was a “lack of seriousness with which huge sums of money were delivered to companies without any real guarantee and in a totally arbitrary way, without respecting any technical report.”
“Is it not legitimate to ask ourselves if there was a scaffold mounted and organized by an executive managed by the Movement of Popular Participation with a friendly government for the purpose of setting up a company that obtained profits financing the campaign?” Mujica asked. “That is the doubt and that is why we must investigate. ”
Sources: La Patilla; El País.
