President Luis Lacalle Pou once again referred to the controversial case in Uruguay that has the nationalist senator Gustavo Penades as a protagonist – while he is being investigated for at least eight complaints of abuse and sexual exploitation of minors -; On this occasion, he maintained that he hopes that Justice “fails as soon as possible.”
When the first complaint against the former bench coordinator of the National Party in it Senate, the president had defended Penadés, saying that he believed “him” and that he had both his “trust” and his “support”. With another seven complaints filed and the confession of the president of the Parlasur —in use of license— that he did not ask for the identity card to confirm the age of the people to whom he paid to have sexual relations, Lacalle Pou distanced himself.
“I related an episode of a person who is trusted, that friendship and what any of you, any individual, would do,” he explained, referring to his previous statements, in which he had pointed out that “he would be a bad friend ” if he did not believe the Herrerista senator, whom he has known for 30 years.
“With the first person who denounced it [la militante del PN Romina Celeste Papasso] I have no deal. I ask you; A friend comes, they have known him for more than 30 years, and he looks at them and says ‘look, it wasn’t me’. He looks me in the eye and tells me: ‘I didn’t go, I didn’t do anything. It isn’t true’. Who does anyone believe?” The president had expressed during the first moments of the case.
Now, Lacalle Pou maintained that “the issue is in Justice, the complaints are many, from what I have been able to find out, they are serious”. “I hope that Justice will rule as soon as possible declaring him innocent or guilty; if the second happens, obviously there is a matter of personal consequences that they will imagine that it is very strong”, he added, without giving further opinions on the case.
He also assured that he will not prejudge the senator; but you can imagine when one trusts a person and if the opposite happens, what would happen to any individual? Also with the type of complaint that is being filed, but we’ll see”.
Three alternatives for the impeachment of Penadés
the vice president Beatriz Argimon stated that there are three scenarios to deal with in the Parliament the violation of Penadés and confirmed that he hopes that it can be resolved The next Tuesday, when talking to the press after the meeting with the bench coordinators.
From his role of head of the Senate, Argimón Clarified that “all the parties are willing to lift the lawlessness, as requested by the prosecutor in the case.” However, she warned that the Broad Front (FA) He considers that the request must first go through the Constitution and Legislation commission, something that could delay the decision.
In a press conference after the meeting, the vice president indicated that there are three ways to proceed in Parliament. The most expeditious is to give a report “in voce” on Tuesday and vote in plenary. This possibility was endorsed by Penadés by requesting the vice presidency that the request of the Prosecutor’s Office be dealt with directly by the Chamber.
In the second scenario, the Commission would be given passage. On this option, Argimón clarified that “the commissions advise us, but the plenary is the one who decides” and proposed to send the project on Tuesday so that “given the delicacy and urgency of the issue”, it goes to an intermediate room and the senators can vote on it. the same day.
The third possibility is the one with the least speed. It consists of the passage to Constitution and Legislation “and that it be the Commission itself that defines its times,” defined the head of the Senate, who spoke in favor of resolving the issue “as soon as possible”; considering that “it is a delicate case” for the entire society of Uruguay.
Source: Ambito
