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URUGUAY

Andrade went years without paying taxes, today he's calling for higher taxes

The senator from the Communist Party did not pay the property tax in Canelones for 10 years

Uruguayan Communist Party senator, Óscar Andrade, has been at the center of controversy after it was revealed that he evaded payment of the property tax for his property in San Luis, Canelones, for a decade, accumulating a debt of approximately $100,000.

In addition, there are irregularities in the contributions to the Social Security Bank (BPS) related to the construction of his home and accusations of having received preferential treatment to settle his debt, according to an investigation by the Canelones Prosecutor's Office.

Meanwhile, in a completely hypocritical manner, Andrade publicly advocates for increasing wealth taxes and updating the rural land registry to "finance social policies," generating entirely justified criticism due to the clear contradiction between his redistributive rhetoric and his personal actions.

10 years without paying property tax

The former Sunca union leader and later legislator built a huge chalet in the aforementioned resort in Canelones in a completely irregular manner.

He did not pay the property tax from 2011 to approximately 2021, that is, for 10years. A decade withoutpaying.

People enjoying a sunny day at the beach with gentle waves and vegetation in the background
San Luis Spa, Canelones | La Derecha Diario

The debt amounted to about $100,000, according to an investigation by the television program Santo y Seña aired in 2021.

The huge plot where the house is located was registered as "vacant land," which facilitated the evasion of the corresponding taxes.

In 2021, when the scandal over the non-payment of property tax to the Canelones departmental government broke out, Andrade was enjoying, as he is now, a senator's salary of approximately $450,000per month.

As can be easily seen, in Uruguay this is an extremely high figure for a monthly salary. However, the Communist Party legislator chose not to pay the taxes he owed.

He did not pay BPS either

Additionally, Andrade did not make the contributions to the Social Security Bank (BPS) related to the construction of the house.

This means that he also did not pay what he owed to the country's most important social security agency.

Red flag with the yellow SUNCA union logo waving in front of a modern building
Never flag | La Derecha Diario

As is known, the BPS is mainly funded by contributions from employees and companies. The communist senator decided that he did not want to pay BPS either. He did not pay.

Serious administrative irregularities

In May 2024, the Canelones Prosecutor's Office determined that a director of the Canelones government committed "serious irregularities" by helping Andrade settle the debt, according to El Observador on May 16, 2024.

It is inferred that the then-intendant of Canelones, Yamandú Orsi, intervened in some way through a director of the Canelones government to help Andrade settle his debt.

The problem is that this "help" would have been irregular and did not comply with the proper procedure.

It was a favor benefiting the communist senator, facilitated by then Frente Amplio intendant Orsi.

Gray-haired man with a serious expression and hands clasped in front of his face, sitting in front of a microphone with a blue background
Yamandú Orsi | La Derecha Diario

Andrade received privileges that an ordinary debtor would not have had, according to El Observador at the time.

Major fraud in Sunca

In addition to all the above, three communist unionists testified before the prosecutor's office regarding a major fraud of 1,200,000dollars from the Construction Fund, as previously reported by La Derecha Diario.

The current Communist Party senator was for many years the leading Sunca unionist and was named by the three individuals convicted in the prosecutor's office.

The prosecutor in the case, Gilberto Rodríguez, mentioned that he doesn't rule out summoning Óscar Andrade for his possible criminal responsibility in the Sunca major fraud and the illegal financing of the Communist Party.

➡️ Uruguay

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