Government decided to terminate contract with Cardama shipyard
The national government decided to terminate the contract with the Spanish Cardama shipyard for the construction of two ocean patrol vessels for the National Navy. The decision was made in the Council of Ministers led by President Yamandú Orsi in the Executive Tower and is based on several non-compliance by the company.
“This is an action that points to the permanent need for transparency in public management,” expressed President Orsi at the beginning of the conference. The president recalled that on October 22, 2025, a press conference was held to report on the execution of the guarantee of faithful compliance.
“There we were surprised that this guarantee did not exist or, even worse, that what we had was a false document,” he pointed out. From that day on, the company was notified and the shipyard itself admitted that this guarantee was non-existent. The president pointed out that the guarantees are what allow the contract to come into force, he added.
Later, the Government also found irregularities in the refund guarantee. “We find that it does not comply with what is established in the contract,” Indian. The document presented was not a policy, but a document of terms and conditions, he reported.
After going down this path to offer the company the opportunity to resolve, it was decided to initiate four actions:
- Terminate the supply contract for serious contractual breaches and initiate actions for damages.
- Initiate actions to recover the assets of the Uruguayan State.
- Define institutional and individual responsibilities and take appropriate measures.
- Seek the acquisition of ocean patrol vessels for the defense of national sovereignty.
GOVERNMENT EXPLORES ALTERNATIVES FOR THE ACQUISITION OF OCEAN PATROL BOATS
On the other hand, the president reported that, to expand the technological and material horizon of the Navy, the Government is exploring alternatives for the acquisition of ocean patrol vessels of similar size to those projected. He explained that contacts are taking place with countries that have shipyards, both public and private.
Likewise, he announced that it is planned to acquire complementary tools for coastal surveillance, specifically speed boats, an area in which they work with a “good horizon.”
He added that there is an offer from the United States for the delivery of a ship that functions as an intermediate solution.
