The Galician community called on Sebastián da Silva to retract his remarks in the Senate

The Galician community in Uruguay, gathered at the historic cultural center A Casa de Galicia, asked National Party senator Sebastián da Silva to review and retract remarks he made during a session of the Budget Committee, which is integrated with the Finance Committee of the Chamber of Senators.

According to Caras y Caretas Uruguay, the issue arose from an intervention on September 8, when the Ministry of Environment appeared before the committee for the accountability report. In that setting, Da Silva questioned the management of Edgardo Ortuño and, in particular, the progress of the Casupá dam. According to the stenographic record cited by the outlet, the lawmaker said the situation seemed like a “story of descendants of Galicia” and added: “we are governing as descendants of Galicia.”

Also according to that outlet, the remarks prompted a reaction during the same session. Frente Amplio senator Gustavo González asked to speak on a point of personal reference, said he was a “grandson of Galicians,” and rejected the idea of belittling a people in the Senate. He also argued that one could disagree with a government without extending that criticism to a community and expressed his expectation that Da Silva would apologize. Caras y Caretas noted that the stenographic record does not show that this happened.

The letter from A Casa de Galicia, dated September 24, expressed “deep pain, rejection and bewilderment” over the senator’s remarks, according to Caras y Caretas Uruguay. In the text, the institution defended the contribution of Galicians and their descendants to Uruguayan society and highlighted the integration of that community in different areas of the country.

Sources

• Caras y Caretas Uruguay

About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.