Uruguay's Orsi puts off naming a top prosecutor
The president is in no hurry to name a permanent prosecutor general; he wants to fill the oversight posts that remain vacant first.
Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi said on Monday that his government is in no rush to name a permanent prosecutor general. "Today we don't have that urgency," he told reporters after a Supreme Court event.
Mónica Ferrero has held the post on an acting basis since 2024. Before her came Juan Gómez, also an interim, who stood in for Jorge Díaz, the last prosecutor general confirmed by the parties in Congress.
Orsi named a different priority: vacancies at other agencies. The parties, he said, should settle those starting with the Electoral Court, and he expects deals to come. The prosecutor general's office, the Court of Accounts and the Electoral Court all require special majorities in Congress, and all remain without permanent heads for lack of political agreement.
A deadlock with a long history
Opposition parties back Ferrero and say they will not vote for anyone else in this legislative term. Inside the Broad Front, the president's party, her record is also questioned, and the executive does not plan to send the nomination that would confirm her as permanent chief.
Orsi also spoke about funding for the judiciary. Asked about the Supreme Court president Doris Morales' call for more resources, he said she "is right." In September, Morales told the Senate the judiciary gets the smallest share of the budget in 15 years and that the accountability bill added "zero pesos" for it.
The president repeated his support for a Justice Ministry but left the design to Congress: "The legislator will look at it," he said. His main goal, he added, is "to take care of what we have."
Without a deal between the parties, Uruguay's prosecutor's office will stay in the hands of an acting chief.
