He Learned from His Father: Lacalle Privatizes Uruguay

The privatization of the ports is one of the wins that Luis Lacalle Herrera, father of the current president obtained, and now his son has continued to fully surpass, including airports, while the people suffer ills derived from the neoliberal unrest.

Private monopolization and almost total deregulation is the project of this government that chooses to position itself worldwide as an exporter of raw materials and continue to doom Uruguay to underdevelopment.

Not only did he handed the port of Montevideo on a silver tray a few months ago, on Río de la Plata, and with free access to the Atlantic and the world, but also extended the concession of the Carrasco International Airport and another six in the rest of the country to the current private operator until year 2053 for the "investment" made by Puerta del Sur, which, in his opinion, deserved "a benefit."

Luis Lacalle Pou declared that the Executive acted "in accordance with the Constitution and, furthermore, with the conviction that it’s the best decision" he could take to improve the infrastructure of six airports in the interior of the country.

With these statements, he attempted to cut short the controversy unleashed days ago within the Government coalition - made up of five parties - when the decision to grant the franchise of six airports in the country to the same company that already manages the Carrasco and Laguna del Sauce airfields, which serves Punta del Este.

In the opinion of Cabildo Abierto (CA, rightwing), one of the coalition partners, this resolution was made without prior consultation and without public tender.

Lacalle Pou also bets on the Uruguay River Waterway, but this already treads with Argentine interests.

DEVASTATING THE PEOPLE

The pandemic combined with the adjustment and austerity plan of the multi-colored government coalition results in a dreadful cocktail for the salaried, retired, and unemployed of Uruguay.

The government has turned a blind eye to the recommendations of scientific experts on the pandemic, the opposition's proposals for a universal basic income and even some of its own coalition allies.

More than half of Uruguayans (51%) consider that the economy is the country's main problem, according to a new Cifra poll released this Tuesday on Telemundo. The most mentioned issue is the lack of work, followed by the general economic situation of the country, and inflation, low wages and poverty.

From the union central PIT-CNT they have been demanding an emergency income from the government to address the situation of the dangerous, self-employed and below the poverty line.

Many unions had to accept labor agreements with salary adjustments below inflation, and there’s great concern about how many workers will return to their jobs with the almost total reopening of the different activities: they estimate the loss of some 80,000 jobs, at least initially, people who will also be treated by the state health system.

In fact, from the union central and the parliamentary representation of the opposition Frente Amplio, they point out that one of the objectives of the Urgent Consideration Law is "to restrain the right to strike." The new rule establishes a limitation on the occupation of the workplace during a strike, enabling eviction with the use of the security forces.

All of this at a time when, due to the economic effects of the pandemic and the pro-business agenda of the current administration, social conflict will escalate in the future.

In this context are abundant the spontaneous demonstrations, an issue that has already been dealt with recently in this website, as well as the instability of those who have the least ensured their permanence.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff