The substitute judge Matías Porciúncula ordered the preventive detention for 30 days of the head of the Presidential custody, Alejandro Astesiano, for the crimes of “association to commit a crime”, a “continued crime of assumption of marital status as co-author” (falsifying state civil), and a crime of influence peddling”. Later it was learned that Astesiano was imprisoned for four months in 2013 for a “continued fraud” crime, however, the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, said that he had no criminal record.
It was also learned that the now former presidential custodian had contacts with ministries, access to the Civil Identification database, and that he had set up an illicit association that operated from the 4th floor of the Presidency of the Republic.
researcher
This Wednesday, September 28, legislators from the Broad Front spoke about the incident. In this sense, the benches of senators and deputies analyze the possibility of promoting the formation of an Investigative Commission.
Senator Mario Bergara said that the population is “embarrassed” with the case involving the security chief of the President of the Republic.
“It is difficult to understand that there have not been the minimum essential filters, such as for the appointment of a head of security for the president. Even worse if it is recognized that this person had more than 20 police inquiries,” said the parliamentarian.
For Bergara there are components of “improvisation, lack of professionalism and lack of seriousness”.
He added that the situation once again affects the country’s image and reputation, as was also the case with the passport granted to the drug trafficker, Sebastián Marset.
Bergara stressed the importance of Justice acting, so that those involved serve the corresponding sentences and, at the administrative and political level, all corresponding mechanisms must also be taken.
The legislator said that the Broad Front acts with the political responsibility that corresponds to it, and that it gave it a good part of the citizenship, to address such a delicate issue, because he stressed that the case is very serious, from the point of view of crimes. committed, but also of the election of the custodian in a position of high importance.
international scandal
For his part, Senator Alejandro Sánchez said that it is an “international scandal.”
“The presidential custody of Uruguay is controlled by the Deputy Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic, (Rodrigo Ferrés). But it is not just about the bodyguard of the President of the Republic, because, in addition, presidential security is responsible for the security of a foreign president when he visits Uruguay, “said Sánchez.
The Frente Amplio parliamentarian recalled that the Prosecutor’s Office also established that Astesiano had, within his criminal organization, officials in the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior, that is, in strategic places. We must continue investigating, because there may be other public officials involved.
Sánchez stressed that the government must take political charge of the situation, and explain to Parliament, and the institutional form will be analyzed, because the Presidency escapes parliamentary control. Therefore, an Investigative Commission is not ruled out.
