Uruguayan opposition denounces officials over agreement with Belgian port

(CNN Spanish) – The opposition party Frente Amplio presented this Wednesday a criminal complaint against officials and a minister of the Government of Uruguay, whom it accuses of having granted by decree to the Belgian company Katoen Natie what they consider a private monopoly to operate the port of Montevideo until the year 2081.

The complaint from the left-wing coalition, which ruled Uruguay between 2005 and 2020, asks to investigate the former Minister of Transport and Public Works and current head of the Interior portfolio, Luis Alberto Heber, the president of the National Port Administration (ANP), Juan Curbelo, the Deputy Secretary of the Presidency, Rodrigo Ferrés, and the Undersecretary of Transportation and Public Works, Juan José Olaizola.

Once the complaint was known, President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou wrote on his Twitter account: “Knowing about a complaint filed against different government officials regarding the agreement around the port terminal, I want to make it clear that they acted under my supervision and responsibility “. Later, in a political event in the city of Salto, the president reaffirmed that he was “very calm with what was done.” “I insist: they have all the support of the president of the republic,” he added.

CNN is trying to get a reaction from the officials involved, but so far they have not responded. However, during a parliamentary interpellation on August 18, Heber denied that a port monopoly was being enshrined in favor of the Belgian company, and argued that what was decided is to “comply with the ports law” by guaranteeing that the specialized terminal has priority in container operations.

Something similar argued the Belgian company Katoen Natie, which in May issued a statement in which it denounced a “campaign of grievances” against its company and added that, contrary to what was denounced, now “the Uruguayan State has reestablished the legality from which it had departed. for more than 12 years “. CNN is trying to reach the company, so far with no response.

The complaint presented by the Broad Front consists of 58 pages, was signed by eight senators and delivered to the Attorney General’s Office.

The details of the accusation

That document says that “the defendants perpetrated a series of stratagems and misleading acts, which show a clear simulation to confer an undue benefit to the company, to the detriment of other companies and the country, abusing the powers conferred by the position they hold. , violating a multiplicity of laws with conscience and will “. The complaint adds that those named acted “without any legal and financial advice, acting as ‘owners of the State.'”

According to the opposition, these four officials made decisions without consultation with the government’s own legal services, which could constitute the crimes of usurpation of functions, ideological falsification by a public official, conjunction of public personal interest and abuse of functions in cases not specifically foreseen by the law.

Several opposition leaders, such as the mayor of Canelones, Yamandú Orsi, said that through his reaction on Twitter, President Lacalle sought to pressure the Justice.

Orsi argued that the fact that “a president anticipates the analysis of Justice is not a good sign. Who determines the responsibilities is the Judiciary. Although it was not the intention, it is a form of pressure.”

Meanwhile, the workers of the port of Montevideo culminated this Thursday 72 hours of work stoppage that paralyzed the loading and unloading of containers, in rejection of the agreement with Katoen Natie and in demand of a collective agreement. The Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado, stated that the strike was a “blow to the liver” of the Uruguayan economy.