Illegal financing of the Communist Party under investigation

Criminal prosecutor Gilberto Rodríguez continues investigating the PCU (Communist Party of Uruguay) for illegal financing.

This is a historic party of the Frente Amplio, which includes, among others, Juan Castillo at the Ministry of Labor, and Oscar Andrade, Daniel Diverio, and Ana Olivera in Parliament.

The party is being investigated for illegal financing through the unions. 

The dirty plot of Sunca

In December 2024, an internal audit revealed unauthorized transfers of about 840,000 dollars, plus irregular checks for 500,000 dollars.

The total amount diverted exceeds 1,200,000 dollars (around 35.6 million Uruguayan pesos). 

In January 2025, SUNCA and the Chamber of Construction filed a criminal complaint for embezzlement, fraud, criminal association, and money laundering. 

It is worth remembering that Sunca was led with an iron fist for many years by Óscar Andrade, current senator of the PCU, and in recent years its top leader was Diverio, current PCU deputy for Canelones.

In June 2025, three former SUNCA unionists —Santiago Bernaola, Bruno Bertolio, and Víctor Rivero— were arrested and convicted for the aforementioned crimes.

Bertolio, a communist activist, admitted in his 2024 statement that he acted under orders from his superiors, Andrade and Diverio, and that part of the funds were used to "create conditions" in the "electoral campaigns of list 1001 of the Communist Party". 

The case of FUS

The Uruguayan Health Federation was led in an authoritarian manner by Jorge "Fogata" Bermúdez, an eternal PCU union bureaucrat, between 1998 and 2024.

According to an audit by the new FUS leadership, Bermúdez used part of the missing money from the union for political party activities, almost certainly for financing the PCU.

Although the audit carried out by the new leadership has not been completed, the accusations against Bermúdez are devastating.

The communist unionist misused union resources for his personal luxuries, including trips abroad and the use of a BMW car from 2024. 

A dark history

In reality, it is not surprising that the PCU finances itself in a murky manner. Founded in 1920, this totalitarian and anti-democratic political organization was financed for many years by the Soviet Union dictatorship and, starting in the 1960s, received support from the Cuban Castro dictatorship. 

At the time, they also received support from the communist dictatorships of Eastern Europe, such as Romania and East Germany.

Murky and dark financing is a constant in the PCU's history and has not changed to this day.

The party's leaders have not provided explanations for this irregular financing; so far, no one has come forward.