The recent appointment of two new coordinators at the Salto Grande Foundation sparked a wave of criticism for alleged political patronage, after it was confirmed that both contest winners maintain prior personal and professional ties with Angelina Bazzano, a current member of the foundation's Board of Directors.
According to political sources consulted by Uruguay al Día , the selected professionals are believed to be close friends and former colleagues of Bazzano, which calls into question the transparency of the selection process. The accusation is not limited to rumors: local sources indicate that the competition was allegedly biased from the start, with predictable results and no guarantees of impartiality.
Outrage is growing among those who had hoped for a change in practices after years of criticizing previous administrations . "We spent five years denouncing the Blancos' arrangements, and now the new ones are repeating the same script at the first opportunity," said one regional leader. José Mujica's words resonate strongly: "State competitions are a joke," the former president had said, and this episode seems to confirm it.
The Salto Grande Foundation, funded with public funds and linked to the CTM (Certified Technical Commission), is once again under scrutiny for practices that contradict the principles of merit, equity, and transparency. The lack of detailed publication of the competition stages, evaluation criteria, and the composition of the jury reinforces the suspicion that the process was a formality to legitimize decisions already made.
This case is no small feat . It involves a member of the foundation's highest decision-making body and highlights how personal ties continue to outweigh technical expertise in many government bodies.
