Between carnivals, interns and divorce proceedings, the elections are taking more and more shape while Argentina continues to be a mystery for the local economy.
Uruguay have the Carnival longest in the world and this year elections, It’s going to be particularly intense. Yesterday on the night of the inaugural parade, popular art mixed with political chess. Obviously, the mayor Carolina Cosse is the great political protagonist of the entire Montevideo movement, despite the fact that the politicians of the ruling party and the competitors within the Broad Front.
Cosse supporters had made arrangements for some of the other pre-candidates to be on the parade stage, but there was no quorum and the engineer was accompanied by the members of the almost complete municipal cabinet. It was only missing with reasoned justification.
There were several on the stand, but inside the FA they want someone to get off. He MPP is putting increasing pressure on Mario Bergara decline his candidacy. There is also pressure within the Seregnismo in that sense. In some of their groups they fear that if Bergara insists and has a meager result, his ability to influence internally will fall, and with it, them. “This is between Orsi and Cosse, there is no way back,” emphasized an MPP leader while chopping gizzards at a barbecue in a Roches spa. The VCP flowed and the talk continued, centered on one of the arguments that the Mujica They hammer constantly, although not in public. “With Orsi the FA wins, with Cosse it risks losing.”
Argentina and debts
The economy has begun to show better numbers in recent months, and the government wants to take advantage of the momentum in a year of definitions. And one of the key issues is the relationship with Argentina. There, several more or less complex chapters coexist. On the one hand, the exporters want to collect what they are owed by the Argentine importers, who – until the assumption of Milei- They had severely restricted access to dollars. With the new government the situation changed more in intentions than in facts: it is still not clear how this debt will be resolved, that the exporters They are recording to have an exact figure. Businesses worth 80 million dollars have already been recorded that have not yet been paid, but the amount – surely – is much higher.
The Argentine government has proposed recognizing this debt with bonds denominated BOPREAL, but Uruguayan exporters do not see them as a solution. “I want the dollars, it is the currency in which I sold,” said a businessman, whose main market is Argentina. “Those BOPREALs are not even managing to be placed with importers and there is no Secondary market that allows us to know what their effective value is, to be able to convert them to Dollars. “The matter is very green,” he added.
There is a better outlook in the intergovernmental relationship. The bilateral agreement between the foreign ministers Omar Paganini and Diana Mondino to approve the dredging of the access channel of the Port of Montevideo at 14 feet is an effective and important sign of harmony between both governments. “The idea is that maritime activity has the greatest possible development,” commented a maritime businessman, in dialogue off the record. The matter was taken up directly by the chancellor, and it is expected that it will be approved at the level of the Administrative Commission of the Río de la Plata in a few days.
Presidential changes
President Luis Lacalle Pou has already confirmed that he will return to Parliament on March 2, to give his annual speech on the situation of the country. A proposal with strong political content is expected, highlighting the government’s achievements. Although the President is prohibited from entering party politics, it is quite obvious that he and his management are key to the fate of the ruling coalition in the next elections.
What has also changed is his personal situation. He confirmed to the weekly Busqueda that he initiated divorce proceedings with his wife Lorena Ponce de Leon. She would keep the house Rocha, of high emotional value for the President, at the same time that they decided to sell their property in The Tahona, according to people close to the couple. “It’s a difficult time,” acknowledged a close professional. “The procession goes inside”. Meanwhile, Lacalle Pou decided at the end of last year to acquire a valuable motorcycle, with which he has been seen Punta del Este and by Cologne. On both sides he was faster than allowed and was fined, because in Uruguay “naides is more than naides.” “Let’s hope that the speech stays within the limits,” commented a frontist legislator, half jokingly, half seriously.
Source: Ambito
