driver's license case took an unexpected turn when the former mayor of Isidoro Noblía, Favio Freire, collapsed after being arrested this Thursday. The leader, investigated for his alleged involvement in the irregular delivery of thousands of driver's licenses, was hospitalized and remains under medical care, forcing the postponement of his court statement.
The prosecutor in charge of the case, Letizia Siqueira, confirmed that she will wait for medical clearance before continuing the investigation. Freire had been removed from his position as head of the Municipal Police two days earlier, due to the investigation directly implicating him in the scheme of irregularities.
Judicial progress in the driver's license case in Cerro Largo
While Freire's situation was being resolved, the courts continued with the formal investigations. A municipal official from Noblía, in charge of conducting practical tests, was charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated bribery, and document forgery. He was remanded in custody.
A private citizen from Cerro Largo accepted a one-year prison sentence through abbreviated proceedings. Another man, who acted as an intermediary to recruit interested parties for ration cards, received 16 months of probation, including nighttime house arrest and community service. In addition, a retired former civil servant was charged and must serve full house arrest with an electronic anklet.
The volume of booklets issued in Noblía surprised authorities. In a town of 2,300 inhabitants, more than 6,000 documents were issued in two and a half years. In the first half of 2024 alone, 1,305 were issued, while in all of 2023, the figure was 2,172.
The Prosecutor's Office suspects that many people traveled exclusively to the municipality to obtain the permit. According to the investigation, each permit could involve an irregular payment of more than 10,000 pesos, despite the official cost being around 3,000 pesos in any municipal government office, including a medical exam and administrative fees.
Political context and local repercussions
The mayor of Cerro Largo, Christian Morel, asserted that the irregularities originated during the previous administration, led by José Yurramendi. "Among so many inheritances we have had, we unfortunately inherited this problem," he stated at a press conference. He also stated that the mayor's office is fully cooperating with the justice system and will not hesitate to act if responsibility is confirmed within his administration.
In the previous week, the Prosecutor's Office had already charged five other people, including three municipal officials. Two were sent to pretrial detention for 180 days, and the others were placed under house arrest with ankle monitors.
The case is keeping Cerro Largo in suspense, as new charges and prosecutions are not ruled out. Former Mayor Freire's decompensation delayed a key chapter of the investigation, but it did not halt the progress of the investigation into the driver's license scandal in Cerro Largo , one of the most significant episodes of alleged corruption in recent years in the department.
