“And flowers. I’m crazy about flowers, there have to be flowers,” says the Mayor of Artigas, Pablo Caramwhile showing a landscaped avenue of the city and waving from his truck to everyone you come across. To all.
People also stop it while walking down the street. He says they ask him for a job. And his cell phone does not stop ringing: among the calls he receives are his niece and nationalist deputy Valentina Dos Santos and that of colonel (r) Roque Moreira -who lives in Artigas-, father of Irene and father-in-law of Guido Manini Ríos.
During the tour, he also shows the museum of the Stone that is going to be inaugurated in April, a six kilometer long bike path that the commune is building, new paved streets and municipal areas that, according to the mayor “are impeccable.” “This is all overtime”jokes –and not so much– Caram when showing the works in a tour of his apartment.
The joke refers to the controversy over the 209 overtime hours charged by former employee Stefani Severo in November and the 109 that the commune paid him in December. The fact led to an administrative investigation that ended in the Intendancy presenting this Wednesday a complaint in Prosecutor’s Office against the former official – according to El País – and also the former General Secretary Rodolfo Caram –cousin of the mayor and partner of Severo– left office and became director of Productive Development.
Caram and the new Secretary General, Emiliano Soravillathey received The Observer at his office. Below is a summary of the interview with the mayor.
Why does Rodolfo Caram end up outside the General Secretariat?
(Caram does not answer and Soravilla takes the floor) That was, I think, an agreement with the mayor. A request to leave that position due to the situation in which he found himself.
Is it a political decision?
(Starts to answer Caram). No, a personal decision of his. And I accompanied him.
You know that when the Artigas Municipality is mentioned, they speak of nepotism…
Another of the many lies of El Observador.
So this is the time for me to clear it up.
We are 59 relatives and there are three.
But, since there is one we are talking about nepotism. These three that you mention, who are they?
Me, Lolo (Rodolfo Caram) and Lolo’s daughter. Ta.
And your partner?
But if you have 24 years of municipal. Love is blind.
But, within a public administration that you direct, there are relatives working with you and that can generate some kind of agreement or suspicion regarding their roles. Don’t you see it that way?
No no. Not at all. Not at all. Very calm, like a panchero going down. Don’t pull back.
Regarding your niece, congresswoman Valentina Dos Santos, there is a perception among the residents of Artigas that you are the mayor, but that she is the one who truly makes the decisions. Why does she think she looks like this?
No. Her dream was the infrastructure part, right, Emiliano? (Looks at the secretary general). To do things, he asks me and Emiliano, ¿ta? Phone calls or we talk, we walk together every day, there is no problem of any kind.
I’m gonna tell you something. I liked your report, you know? Because they all insist on the same thing. They don’t insist that we have the best carnival in Artigas, the best amethyst stones, nothing. They are all focused on the same thing, they look like Faces and Masks! Very low level. And honestly I tell you, it’s not that I get hot, huh? It is the plain truth. They are all focused on the same thing. It is seen that they are looking for the fifth leg of the cat and the cat has four. There is nothing! Do you know what bothers? The 33 thousand votes that I got.
Who cares?
To the opposition. If each time they have less. Let’s go anywhere and you’ll see if I receive anything. No, Emily? They focus on something and go on and on and on.
I ask because people need to know if the management of a mayor has the one who they elected…
We have a government team, which is: Lolo (Rodolfo Caram), Emiliano, Valentina and me. I don’t sell myself as just me, I always say that we are a government team. The four of us work.
So Valentina Dos Santos is not the one who makes the decisions?
No no. We take them all together. There is the Projects Unit that is doing projects and she is not there.
What will you do when your administration ends?
I will continue in politics. I’m going to be a candidate for deputy. We are going to support Álvaro (Delgado).
And who wants to succeed him in the Administration?
Goes to Vale and to the Emiliano deputation.
Is Valentina Dos Santos aspiring to be mayor then?
And it will be. It is already a popular voice.
