The Ministry of Social Development affirmed that the information sent belatedly by the Popular and Solidarity Coordinator (CPS) regarding popular pots yields “various inconsistencies and alleged irregularities”. The portfolio led by Martín Lema pointed out this Sunday in a statement that even will evaluate “legal actions”.
Secondly, Lema confirmed that they will begin to coordinate with the Army to have their logistical support in the distribution of food, after the offer made by Defense Minister Javier García. “We have decided to have the collaboration of the Army and reinforce logistics so that the people who attend these initiatives are not harmed as a result of maneuvers that lack transparency,” he declared.
From the Secretary of State they indicated that they have been transferring around 1,600 tons of food to the solidarity initiatives that proliferated with the pandemic. In Montevideo and the metropolitan area, management had been left to the Uruguay Adelante civil association, contrary to what happened in the rest of the country, in which the National Food Institute established agreements with the municipalities.
“During the months of August and September 2022, representatives of the CPS expressed through numerous public interventions, that the Mides was not complying with the delivery of supplies necessary to cover the demand for pots and picnic areas, and that such a situation from a “growth in demand, consequence of increased hunger in the Uruguayan people”.
From the Mides they refuted these statements through official data on the drop in users in the National System of Dining Rooms of Inda and regarding the demand for food in pots and dishes prepared by the Army. As a result, they asked the coordinator for information on the use and distribution of the supplies provided through Uruguay Adelante.
“CPS was the only organization that stated its refusal to provide information”, they questioned, then enumerating successive extensions in which the solidarity organization did not meet the deadlines established by the government. The Coordinator delivered the data this Saturday morning, but the Mides reported that it would set it aside as an intermediary as long as it had not complied with the established conditions.
The Mides maintained that the CPS “lists 162 initiatives in Montevideo”, which, through the crossing of databases, “confirms that 20 of these initiatives are directly attended by Uruguay Adelante in its collection center and another three are repeated within the list”. “Thus, there would be 139 pots or picnic areas that CPS would serve in Montevideo”, which implies approximately 20% less than what was publicly declared.
Also, the portfolio assured that “at least 14 of the initiatives are not working at the declared addresses, so their status of activity or existence is unknown”. “On these situations, the documentation that confirms it will be sent to the Mides Legal Division, which will analyze possible legal actions,” the agency advanced.
The Coordinator had explained that the data was finely sent this Saturday since “it was necessary to emphasize the rigor” in the delivery of the list of pots and picnic areas, and thus “avoid misunderstandings in the future.”
“For us, the supplies, despite the fact that they are insufficient, are very necessary for the voluntary and supportive work that we carry out to face hunger and food insufficiency in our neighborhoods,” the coordinator had affirmed, adding that The ministry’s decision generates “anguish and uncertainty” in people who “already have enough problems”. to cover the work in the pots and in the picnic areas.
The mayor of Montevideo, Carolina Cosse, questioned the Mides decision, while Defense Minister Javier García stated that the Army was available to facilitate the distribution of food.
