Legislators' trips, a million-dollar waste

Uruguayan legislators, in addition to earning an enormously high salary compared to the average in Uruguay, have exclusive privileges that no other citizen enjoys.

In Uruguay, there are 130 legislators—99 representatives and 31 senators, including the Vice President of the Republic—who receive an enormously high monthly remuneration, among the highest in the Americas.

In addition to a monthly salary and extra allowances, such as the so-called "representation expenses" and allowances for cell phones, legislators have the privilege of traveling abroad in pure luxury with all expenses paid.

When one or several legislators travel to any country in the world, it is Uruguayan taxpayers who pay for this privilege with their taxes.

There are the so-called "per diems," which is money in dollars that each legislator receives according to their destination and the number of days spent outside the country.

In theory, upon their return, the legislator must submit an expense report for the money spent.

If there is any money left over, it should be returned. However, in practice, legislators spend and squander the money they are given on whatever they please. If there is any left over, they almost never return it.

Some figures

Of the 2,188 trips made by parliamentarians between 2010 and 2025, on average, 91% of the per diems granted were used.

This means that for every 100 dollars granted to them for traveling abroad, they returned only nine, on average.

Between 2010 and 2025, legislators from Partido Nacional spent 94% of the per diems on 580 trips.

Those from Frente Amplio during that period used 87% of the per diems on 987 trips.

Those from Partido Colorado used 93% of the per diems on 153 trips.

Meanwhile, those from Cabildo Abierto used 90% of the per diems on 21 trips. It should be noted that this party includes trips made in the 2020–2025 period, since this political force did not exist before then.

Other parliamentary officials, not from the Legislature, spent 96% of the per diems on 457 trips.

Taxpayers pay

As stated, all of this is paid for by Uruguayan taxpayers with their taxes. All Uruguayans are the ones who finance these trips by legislators.

In many cases, these are absolutely useless trips that contribute nothing to the country.

It is also clear that spending on per diems is wasted on totally unnecessary products, and of course on legislators' personal purchases.

In a country with an extremely high tax burden like Uruguay, the political class travels and squanders taxpayers' money on their personal luxuries and privileges.