The senator of Cabildo Abierto, Guido Manini Ríos, has expressed his disagreement with the proposal to change the name of the Carrasco International Airport to honor the late former president of the Republic, Jorge Batlle. Currently, the official name of the airport remember Cesáreo Berissothe first Uruguayan to fly solo and considered by Manini Ríos as a “Aviation Pioneer”.
Although he acknowledges that Batlle “undoubtedly deserves a tribute from all Uruguayans,” the former Commander in Chief of the Army believes that it is not fair to stop paying homage to Berisso. This way, Manini Ríos joins the position of the National Party and opposes the original proposal of the Colorado Party.
The Colorados press to insert Batlle’s name in some public work
In the absence of an agreement with the Cabildo Abierto, the Colorado Party has evaluated renaming the Bridge of the Americas instead of changing the name of the airport. This measure is seen as a way of paying tribute to Jorge Batlle while still recognizing the contribution of Cesáreo Berisso.
In this sense, Manini Ríos has declared that his party will support the “fair tribute” to Dr. Jorge Batlle by designating an avenue with his name, route, bridge or any other infrastructure considered most appropriate. In this way, it is shown that two great figures of Uruguayan history can be honored without this implying detracting from the legacy of either of them.