During an interview on the Nada Que Perder program on Radio M24, Ayala was forceful when responding to journalist Lucas Labandera, who asked him if he considered it ethical that, after serving their sentences, both politicians could return to political life: «I understand that no. A ruler who commits this type of crime can never return to political activity again,” he stated.
When Labandera asked specifically about Caram and Dos Santos, Ayala said: “Even if they serve their sentence, they were people who committed crimes in public office, and for me that is unappealable. “You cannot, under any circumstances, forgive.”
Differences within the National Party
Sofía Kortysz, another of the program’s journalists, pointed out that Ayala’s position differed from that of candidate Álvaro Delgado, who had maintained in a recent interview that “you cannot condemn people for life.” Ayala recognized this difference in approach, but reaffirmed his position: “I believe that on the political issue, you can be sentenced for life. “A person who, in the exercise of power, commits a crime of corruption cannot return to the political arena again,” he stated.
Kortysz then asked if these differences with Delgado reflected “different constructions” within the National Party. Ayala responded that, although there are different visions within the party, he does not consider them to be contradictions: “It is good that in a free party we have several visions. “I have my very firm position in that sense, for me honesty in the management of public money is a fundamental value.”
Electoral and internal strategy of the National Party in Artigas
Journalist Alejandra Couto, also host of the radio program, mentioned the fact that the nationalist deputy Emiliano Soravilla proclaimed Dos Santos’ candidacy for the Mayor of Artigas, despite his judicial record. In this regard, Ayala believed that Dos Santos’ proclamation responds to an electoral strategy of the political group 2525, which seeks to divert attention from its own candidate. “As long as we continue talking about Valentina and her disqualification, there is no talk about their candidate,” Ayala said.
When Couto asked him why that sector avoids talking about their proposals, Ayala stated: “Because they don’t have good proposals and the candidate is very weak, he doesn’t reach the people,” he said. In addition, he highlighted that the 2525 group suffered a significant break with the departure of the mayor of Bella Unión, William Cresseri, which weakened the electoral capacity of the sector. According to Ayala, many leaders of this movement “are not committed to municipal management and have distanced themselves after the prosecutions.”
Caram and Dos Santos are disqualified from the October elections because they will serve their sentences for the case of fraudulent payment of overtime in the Artigas Municipality. However, Dos Santos could run in the departmental elections in May 2025, when he has already served his sentence.
