Uruguayan Deputy Martín Lema, candidate of the Republican Coalition for Mayor of Montevideo, reaffirmed that he will proceed to close TV Ciudad and the Municipal Casino Parque Hotel, if elected to the position.
In statements to the press, he pointed out that there are “shortcomings in services that are not being provided” in the Uruguayan capital and that the aim must be to “change the quality of life of the people for the better.”
“If you are not collecting the garbage, you are not fixing the streets, you are not fixing the sidewalks, you are not giving mobility to traffic, but you are embracing a municipal casino or a television channel, it is not logical,” he remarked.
It should be remembered that, in October 2024, Lema stated that the municipal casino could not be “open for even a minute more”, after the Municipality of Montevideo reported that the gambling hall had registered a deficit of UYU 87 million (USD 2.1 million) during 2023.
Based on that report, the deputy had submitted a document proposing that the municipality cease managing the casino, which provoked criticism from various workers’ unions.
Now, in the context of the electoral campaign, Lema assured that the workers of both the municipal casino and TV Ciudad will be able to “reorganize” in other activities.
Finally, he stated that his focus is to double the investment budget to improve the streets, the collection service and the infrastructure in general. “For that, it is necessary to cut expenses that should not be carried out and redirect resources,” he added.
