Vertiente Artiguista proposes changing the criteria under which Mónica Ferrero became acting prosecutor

The Vertiente Artiguista, a political sector in Uruguay, has expressed deep concern over the prolonged failure to appoint a new Prosecutor General. The position has been vacant since Jorge Díaz resigned to become Deputy Secretary of the Presidency, and the political system has struggled to reach a consensus.

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The case of the Prosecutor's Office is the place that concerns us most, especially after the transfer of a prosecutor who had very important cases like República Ganadera, the destruction of a document on the 11th floor of the Executive Tower and Cardama.

In a statement released Sunday, the group proposed that the executive and legislative branches adapt the current legal framework. They advocate for restoring "impartial and random criteria" for the designation of an interim prosecutor, as outlined in Article 59 of Law 19.483. This measure aims to unblock negotiations for a permanent appointment.

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In 2022, a change was voted on in the mechanism for electing the interim prosecutor, which established that the oldest criminal prosecutor would be appointed. This clearly meant at the time that Ferrero was being chosen, by repealing the previous mechanism.

Senator Eduardo Brenta explained that if a consensus for a permanent prosecutor cannot be reached, the proposal seeks to modify the mechanism by which Mónica Ferrero assumed the interim role. He referenced a change made in the 2022 budget accountability law, which established that the longest-serving criminal prosecutor would be appointed interim. Brenta noted that this change clearly favored Ferrero at the time.

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Why don't we say how things are? If we say it corresponds to the criminal prosecutors of Montevideo, we are saying it corresponds to Dr. Mónica Ferrero.

The Vertiente Artiguista's concern is described as "more generic," extending to upcoming vacancies in other critical institutions like the Supreme Court of Justice and the Court of Administrative Litigation. The group believes that returning to the pre-2022 mechanism of a lottery among Montevideo criminal prosecutors for interim appointments would ensure a more equitable process. This proposal aims to prevent future controversies and ensure stability in key oversight bodies.

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Our concern is more generic, and the objective is also linked to several vacancies that will be generated in bodies such as the Supreme Court of Justice, the Court of Administrative Litigation, and other oversight institutions, for which agreements have not been found.