By Víctor M Rodríguez (Digital Coalition for Journalism – CDP) The figure of Senator Gustavo Penadés, once an icon of Uruguayan political prestige and representative of the country in the Mercosur Parliament, has collapsed loudly. Accused of sexual exploitation of minors and abuse of power, his case has shaken the foundations of citizen confidence in democratic institutions. Behind the scandal, a journalistic investigation led by Carolina Delisa and Martín Touch reveals a story of power, silence and omission that transcends borders.
The book “Gustavo Penadés. Two sides of a man with power” not only documented one of the cases of greatest media impact on the recent history of Uruguay, but to unleash the structural failures of a society that for decades chose not to look. Through more than a hundred testimonies, the authors reconstruct the double life of Penadés: the respected politician, and the man who allegedly used his influence to violate the weakest.
A fall announced from silence
Until early 2023, Gustavo Penadés was seen as a symbol of integrity. “His word was the most valuable thing he had,” said Delisa. But it was in social networks, and not in court, where the first complaint broke out. What followed was a cascade of accusations and a judicial investigation still ongoing.
The severity of the case not only lies in the crimes imputed, but in the network of complicity, indifference or fear that allowed these facts to allegedly occur for decades. “Many knew, few spoke,” stressed touching, aiming at a culture of protection towards power figures that still lasts in Uruguay and in large part of Latin America.
The challenge of telling what is not meant
The journalists faced deep ethical dilemmas: how far the private life of a public figure without revictimizing or violating individual rights? How to deal with sources that lied, shut up or simply do not remember?
“We have only what we could demonstrate,” they explain. The book leaves out rumors and unconfirmed clues, but still manages to reveal a social network where impunity was mixed with institutional admiration.
A broken mirror for Uruguayan politics
The impact on the political system was immediate. The first institutional reactions – including public support from the Executive Power – pointed to a corporate defense. But as the complaints grew, silence was imposed.
The fall of Penadés was not just staff. It is also a reflection of how political structures can fail in their duty to protect citizens. And he raises an uncomfortable question: how many more are there, hidden after honor and patriotism speeches?
More than a case, a continental warning
Although the case has its own name, its background is universal. Sexual exploitation, abuse of power, institutional protection: these are not exclusive phenomena of Uruguay. Delisa and Play understand their research as a tool of regional consciousness.
“The question is no longer whether this happened, but why so many ignored it,” says Delisa. In countries where childhood is still fragile in the face of power structures, the Penadés case can and should serve as a turning point.
And now what?
The book does not close a story, it barely opens it. Delisa and play anticipate that there is more to discover: parties, names, accomplices. Some testimonies speak of a more extensive network, still unpunished figures.
“There are more to investigate, but also more to reflect,” they agree. Because power, when it becomes a weapon, does not need justification. Only impunity.
