Danilo Astori, future Minister of Economy and Carolina Cosse, to be the head of the Ministry of Industry, delayed the appointment of new boards of public companies because of a dispute over control of Antel. Cosse, who so far chairs the entity (until 1 March), got its general manager, Andrés Tolosa, be appointed as president. As reported in "El País", she also wants to appoint the vice president, but Astori intends to appoint for said position a person he trust, business deputy general manager of Antel, Daniel Fuentes. In the dispute, Cosse handled the possibility that Pablo Barletta, current vice president, continues in office.
Fuentes, of the political party Frente Amplio, indicated that appointment of Fuentes as vice president of Antel can be taken almost as granted. Therefore, Astori seeks greater control over the management, especially in the implementation of the expenditure.
The arrival of Cosse at the Ministry of Industry created discomfort at the middle management level of that cabinet because she decided to remove all directors who worked during the administration of current Minister Roberto Kreimerman. Moreover, Cosse intends to move the Ministry of Industry from the building of the Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland, Ancap (National Fuel, Alcohol and Portland Administration), which occupies two floors, to Antel Tower.
The Director of Industries, José Heijo, pursuant to decision of the future minister, will be replaced by Enrique Moreno, leader of the Movimiento de Participación Popular (MPP), to which she belongs. In the Telecommunications Directorate, Sergio de Cola will be replaced by Rodrigo Diaz, formerly of Antel. In Energy Directorate, Ramón Méndez will be replaced by engineer Olga Otegui.
These changes were considered unsatisfactory in some sectors of the Frente Amplio, who appreciate Kreimerman management and sought a continuity of policies. These differences in turn delayed the announcements of elections for president of the Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland, Ancap (National Administration of Fuel, Alcohol and Portland), Obras Sanitarias del Estado, OSE and Administración Nacional de Usinas y Transmisiones Eléctricas (UTE) to be made this week by elected President Tabaré Vázquez.