A trip by the mayor of Montevideo Carolina Cosse to Brussels, commented on by a communicator on Twitter, aroused criticism –on Twitter– from the nationalist senator Graciela Bianchi, who deserved a response –on Twitter– from the substitute Cosse, Mauricio Zunino, and a clarification – also on Twitter – from the director of the Office of Planning and Budget (OPP), Isaac Alfie.
The discussion originated after a comment by Bianchi to a tweet by journalist Leonardo Sarro in which it was stated that Cosse was on a trip to Brussels.
“In Brussels! For what? I imagine that with the salary that we Montevideo pay her, she will support the trip and her expenses. This is NOT ‘left'”, said the senator from President Luis Lacalle Pou’s 404 list.
“Senator. I clarify so that you know that the Mayor was INVITED by OPP”, retorted Mauricio Zunino, director of Financial Resources of the Municipality and Cosse’s first substitute.
After his comment, Bianchi said that “he could not even imagine paying for that trip with our money” and announced that he would request “explanations”. “On the other hand, it does not exempt the Mayor from responsibility because she could have rejected the invitation,” he added.
The allusion to the OPP prompted the intervention of the director of that office, Isaac Alfie, who pointed out that the information was incorrect –both that of Bianchi and that of Zunino– and that Cosse was “on an official mission in Belgium at the invitation of EuroSocial” ( a European Union program for social cohesion in Latin America.
“Given the confusion of information, and after finding out how things went, I went on to tell them. As I advance two things: Personally, I did not know everything and, as I am the one who must sign official missions for OPP, either something irregular had happened or the information was incorrect. If institutionally it corresponds to the Mayor of Montevideo or any other trip, of course he would sign. This was not the case, “wrote Alfie.
As he explained, “Eurosocial has a program with OPP of technical assistance for departmental and local governments” and “they communicated with the office” saying that they were going to carry out an activity in Belgium and that they were going to invite a departmental head of government from Uruguay “.
“The OPP tells him that he understood that he should raise it with the president of the Congress of Mayors so that he can decide. EuroSocial answers that for parity issues they will invite a female Mayor. OPP tells him that there are only two female Mayors: Ana Benteberry and Carolina Cosse. We are asked for the contacts, which is given, as appropriate. In turn, OPP officials notify the secretariats of the Mayors that EuroSocial will communicate with them about the activity, after that there is no more intervention, “said Alfie.
“Therefore, OPP did not invite or pay for any trip to anyone, simply,” concluded the hierarch.
vii) in turn, OPP officials notify the secretaries of the Intendente that EuroSocial will contact them about the activity, after which there is no more Intervention
Therefore, OPP did not invite or pay for any travel to anyone, simply https://t.co/sXrmFqVnZ3— Isaac Alfie (@AlfieIsaac) July 2, 2022
