This Friday, September 9, Delgado participated in the inauguration of the Expo Prado International Livestock Exhibition and Agro Industrial and Commercial Exhibition, which this year will be from September 9 to 18.
After the inauguration of several ministerial stands, the head of the Presidency was approached by a group of journalists from different media outlets who consulted him about the recent decree that relaxes some aspects of Decree No. 120 of April 2019 (related to packaging and labeling neutral or generic of all tobacco products and cigarettes), of former President Tabaré Vázquez.
Delgado responded that the government has a major problem, which is the smuggling of cigarettes that enter the country without any control of the production processes, and added that the new decree is a “sign” to make national cigarettes more competitive against smuggling.
Then the exchange with the journalists grew in tone.
-Doesn’t this put back other previous policies? Asked a journalist.
“Huh?” Delgado asked, with an annoyed tone.
The journalist reiterated the question and the head of the Presidency answered no. “What he does is give him more quality. We continue with the same policy of discouraging tobacco consumption. Those who want to consume, should consume with certified quality”.
Then, the journalist asked Delgado about the meeting that Nicolás Martinelli -former adviser to the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou- held with the authorities of Montepaz SA, before the Executive decided to relax the Decree on tobacco, a meeting that would have involved a violation of the Framework Convention of the World Health Organization for Tobacco Control.
Regarding this, Delgado replied: “The truth, I have no idea.”
At that moment the press conference ended, but Delgado approached the young journalist from TV Ciudad, and told her: “Don’t provoke the fart. They send you huh!”
The young journalist looked down and remained silent, as can be seen in the graphic shot.
“It’s screwed up”
After the fact, the deputy of the Broad Front Bettiana Díaz questioned the attitude of the head of the Presidency.
“A government that is not used to the uncomfortable question and that goes overboard when it does not know where to go. Like Delgado wanting to discipline the TV Ciudad mobile company, ”said the legislator on her Twitter account.
