The Departmental Board of Maldonado decided to send a delegation of twelve people to the International Tourism Fair (FIT) in Buenos Aires, which takes place from September 25 to 29. The official mission is listed in Bulletin No. 28/2026 of the body, dated September 11 and published on the institutional site, under the heading "MOF – FIT". Official missions of a public agency imply that it covers the travel expenses of its members. It lists eleven councilors —Verónica Robaina, Osvaldo Matteu, Javier de León, Marta Torres, Andrea Vicentino, Andrés Arias, Adriana Costa, Javier Ramírez, Sebastián Antonini, María José Bovio, and Pablo Bragança— and, in addition, Guillermo Moroy, who is not a councilor but the political secretary of the Presidency.
Matteu has been presiding over the Board since July 16, 2026, and will continue until the same date in 2027, according to the official page of the agency. Moroy holds the Political Secretariat, a position of trust for the president. The salary table in effect since July 2026, published by the Board itself, sets a nominal remuneration of $327,284 per month for that position: it is the highest in the entire scale, above the general secretary ($308,759), the general director ($279,812), and any career position within the agency.
The reference cost
The Board had not disclosed, by the time this note was closed, the amount allocated to the mission. However, there is a public reference. State agencies in Uruguay use the travel expense scale prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a basis for missions abroad, whose current version since July 1, 2026, sets a value of USD 368 per day per person for Buenos Aires and its metropolitan area, with higher amounts for certain hotels.
With that parameter, and taking the duration of the mission as stated in the bulletin —five days— the calculation is simple: twelve people for five days at USD 368 amounts to USD 22,080. This figure is an estimate based on the reference scale; the actual amount paid could be lower if the body applied another criterion or if the travel days were settled partially. This outlet consulted the Board about the cost of the mission and had not received a response by the time this note was closed. What is not in dispute is the number of members, the duration, and the destination, which are stated in an official document issued by the General Secretariat of the body.
What was done before
The participation of the Maldonado Board in the FIT is not new. It is common for the body to send members of the Tourism Commission to accompany Uruguay's stand at the fair. What distinguishes this edition is the size of the delegation: twelve people, including a trusted official who does not hold any political representation and whose role is to assist the president.
Matteu himself was interviewed from the fair by FM Gente de Maldonado, which broadcast the dialogue under the title "Maldonado present at FIT 2026". The president spoke there about expectations and promoting the department as a tourist destination. It is the expected defense; it is also exactly the same as when three councilors traveled, which leaves unanswered the only question that matters: what do the other nine contribute.
