The case for the passport delivered to Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, that triggered a controversy and had as its final blow the resignation of the chancellor Francisco Bustillo, It began at the beginning of 2019, when the criminal began the process to obtain the document.
Since then almost 5 years have passed, in which the situation of marset, who was detained in Dubai, obtained delivery of a letter Chancellery to obtain the passport in United Arab Emirates (UAE), was released, then Interpol requested his international capture and, in July of this year, he was last seen, when he escaped from an operation in Bolivia.
In the middle, there was an important stir in the political sphere of Uruguay, with leaders of Wide Front accusing the government of lack of transparency, for which Prosecutor’s Office proceeded to summon the chancellor Bustillo; the former vice chancellor Carolina Ache; the Minister of the Interior, Luis Alberto Heber; and his undersecretary, Guillermo Maciel.
The delivery of the passport sparked controversy
Yes ok marset The process began in 2019 from Bolivia and he advanced in that request at the end of 2020, the substance of the episode occurred from September 2021, when he was detained at the international airport of Dubai with a false Paraguayan passport.
Weeks later, while he was imprisoned, the Chancellery gave him the passport after an urgent process and that it traveled in a diplomatic bag, despite which the government assured that there were no irregularities and for which Bustillo was questioned in Parliament.
The recommendation of diplomats that was ignored
As was learned a few weeks ago, Uruguayan diplomats in United Arab Emirates They recommended in 2021 not to grant passports to Marset. The Uruguayan ambassador to the UAE, Alvaro Ceriani, and the former consul in Dubai and current deputy consul of Uruguay in San Francisco (United States), Fiorella Prado, They suggested at that time to wait for the drug trafficker to get out of jail.
However, the government decided to proceed, even though the diplomats considered it “common sense” not to grant the document, because the detainee had circulated with a false passport.
The resignation of Carolina Ache
In December 2022, a series of chats between ache and Maciel, about which today the former vice chancellor said that Bustillo He suggested that he “lose his cell phone,” alluding to covering up what happened.
After the episode, which led to the resignation of Ache, President Luis Lacalle Pou had supported the management by considering that “it acted lawfully” and pointing out that “it is not true that the government has failed to tell the truth in Parliament.”
At that time, the outgoing vice chancellor said she “has peace of mind that she had no interference in the delivery of the passport,” something she reaffirmed today when she maintained that she was “the only one who resigned” and maintained that it was not for doing “something” illegal.
Postponement in the Prosecutor’s Office and escape in Bolivia
Although it was expected that the members of the government who were going to be investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office would do so in August, the Economic Crimes Prosecutor, Alejandro Machado, He presented a brief with facts at the end of July that had to be analyzed by the deponents’ defense, so the appearance was postponed.
Days later, the drug trafficker managed to escape a police operation in Bolivia, where he was with his wife and three minors, after he was located in the department of Santa Cruz.
However, despite the mobilization of 2,250 police officers, marset He managed to escape and even later recorded a video accusing the police of that country of helping him.
Statements in Justice and resignation of Bustillo
The so far last chapter of the investigation began this week, with the appearance of senior officials in the Prosecutor’s Office. First of all, he declared Maciel and then Heber, who maintained that “the only thing new that exists now is the sentence of Arab Emirates where it shows that the Lord Marset was not released because of the passport, but he was released for the reason that determined it in the Arab Emirates.”
“Let it be clear that the granting of a passport in itself is not the liberation of anyone. There are people imprisoned today Uruguay “He has a passport and is still serving his sentence,” the leader explained.
Finally, ache today he expressed his point of view and complicated Bustillo, who was accused of having tried to hinder the investigation, asking the former leader to “lose her cell phone,” among other statements in that regard.
When the conflict escalated, in the face of criticism from the Wide Front and part of the ruling party, Bustillo He finally submitted his resignation from office, at the request of Lacalle Pou, who is on an official trip USA.
Source: Ambito
