Pablo Caram, the current mayor of Artigas and leader of the National Party, resigned after being convicted last week in a case of irregular overtime in the departmental government.
Elita Volpi, the notary public and third in line to succeed her, will take over, according to Búsqueda and Telemundo.
Caram’s resignation occurred on Monday, after the National Party candidate, Álvaro Delgado, asked her to leave the mayor’s office and withdraw her candidacy for deputy in the upcoming elections in October. That same day, the Electoral Court decided to disqualify both Caram and her niece Valentina Dos Santos, preventing them from holding public office while their sentences last. Dos Santos was also convicted, in her case for usurpation of functions linked to the same case of irregular overtime.
Notary Elita Volpi takes over as mayor
The Artigas Departmental Council held a session on Monday night to decide who would take over the position after the disqualifications of Caram and Dos Santos. During the session, the vote was first taken to accept Caram’s resignation and then that of his niece. The Frente Amplio bench chose not to vote in both instances, arguing that, since they were convicted, both were automatically disqualified from serving.
Volpi, who was initially third in line to the mayor’s office due to the death in 2022 of Augusto Rodríguez, her predecessor in line, was confirmed to take over the position. The notary had already served as interim mayor during Caram’s leave of absence.
However, Volpi also faces legal problems, as she is being investigated by the Justice for an alleged multimillion-dollar scam on a rancher in Brazil..
In this regard, the president of the Departmental Board, the nationalist councilor Nelton Barreda, explained that the Legal Department of the Board has maintained that Volpi is qualified to occupy the position, given that she has not been convicted, differentiating her situation from that of Caram and Dos Santos.
Condemnations and political reactions
Caram was found guilty of the crime of failure by public officials to report, a ruling that has had significant repercussions in the department.
Dos Santos was also sentenced for usurpation of functions, and his sentence was commuted to six months of probation with community service.
The Electoral Court, in an extraordinary session held on Monday, made the unanimous decision to disqualify Caram and Dos Santos from holding public office for the duration of their sentences, based on interpretations of the Constitution and confirming the automatic suspension of citizenship for both, which politically prevents them from occupying the municipal seat or running for other positions.
Sources close to the mayor said that Caram had no plans to resign until the Electoral Court announced its decision regarding the suspension of his citizenship.
This suspension emerged from a consensus among constitutional lawyers, who consider that a prison sentence, even with alternative measures, implies an automatic disqualification from holding public office.
The Attorney General’s Office has stated that the crime charged to Caram, in accordance with article 177 of the Penal Code, does not carry an accessory penalty of disqualification in itself.
However, experts agree that, as they are serving a sentence, Caram and Dos Santos cannot exercise their functions or be nominated for other public offices.
