RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Enrique Antía, Mayor of the Maldonado department with its famous vacation hotspot Punta del Este, is hopeful that in a few more weeks – when Uruguay manages to contain the coronavirus pandemic – the government of President Luis Lacalle Pou will agree to implement a plan that will allow Argentinean property owners and people from other nationalities to enter the eastern part of Uruguay.
The plan was devised by Antía himself in agreement with the private sector and with the involvement of medical experts and the security services. The proposal consists in allowing access to foreign property owners through strict monitoring by authorities and compliance with the health protocol.
The proposal was submitted to the Uruguayan Government in early December to be implemented before the start of the current summer season. However, the pandemic figures in Uruguay grew exponentially this month and left Antía’s proposal waiting for better days.
The Mayor hopes that this proposal may still be implemented this summer season. Antía is also in favor of allowing access to all people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The Mayor won last September’s elections and a month ago was sworn in for the third time.
The Mayor is considered an expert in leadership of difficult times as occurred in December 2001 when Argentina’s economy collapsed and resulted in a major devaluation of its currency.
Twenty years later, Antía has to deal with the difficult health situation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic that forced President Lacalle Pou to block the entry of citizens from abroad. The ban affects Uruguayans as well.
Infobae conducted an interview with Antía recently.
Q-How do you envisage the season?
A-Prepared to face next winter because the season will be less than half of what it usually is. A little bit. Between forty and forty-five percent compared to a traditional season. This creates all kinds of problems for the winter. That’s why we have to prepare for the winter hardship. Something that will need to be addressed with great responsibility. Without a doubt, we are lacking many foreigners, many foreign owners although some came earlier and managed to stay. Brazilians are lacking. It is clear that with the people of Montevideo we will not be able to absorb all our offer.
Q-How are business sectors performing?
A-Restaurants are operating relatively well. The hotel industry is not good at all. The same goes for the whole tourism sector, such as excursions and events. These are very complicated cases because there aren’t and can’t be any for strictly health reasons.
Q-It is an unprecedented season.
A-Absolutely unprecedented. I don’t know what the famous “hot summer” season was like (when the Tupamaros staged attacks in the summer of 1968). It may be similar to that.
Q-You led a task force that defined a plan to allow foreign owners to enter Punta del Este. You even submitted it to Lacalle Pou.
A-I have a feeling that once the first fifteen days of January have passed, this proposal that Maldonado put forth to allow the controlled entry of owners – duly tested and then followed by a local team – will be accepted. We presented a rational proposal when the national government had no choice but to take very hard decisions to address an issue that was getting out of hand. I think that is possible because the season is long. I have a feeling that the season will be between forty and forty-five percent but stretched out over time. I even think it will run until next April. In fact, in October and November many people came every weekend.
Q-What do the Argentinians who managed to enter or who have stayed since last summer say to you?
A-People are delighted. And not only those who came in the past few months. Even those who were caught by the pandemic last March and were afraid to spend a winter in the area, all of them recognize that they found a different place than what they expected. They were delighted with the winter they spent here. I have received hundreds of opinions about it. Everyone was surprised by what they found in Punta del Este. They thought it would be worse. However, now they tell me they had a great time. They found a nice and pleasant place to live in peace.
Q-How do you envision the near future?
A-With the vaccine we are going to have a different Punta del Este. Our department is going to take a quantitative and qualitative leap. There are many investment projects that never stopped. And we have many foreigners, leaders in what they do, who are going to come to this place to implement many of their proposals.
Q-You led the 2001 crisis when Argentina’s economy collapsed. Back then, the summer was -as it is now- very complex.
A-As then, we have to care for all details related to the quality of life that distinguishes us. This is our main commitment in all areas such as hygiene, cleanliness, safety, in the appearance of public spaces. These are things that people greatly value. It is something that we can’t let go of for a minute. It is something that people emphasize and recognize. It is a hallmark of the department of Maldonado. If one compares our department with others, one finds these differences in favor of Maldonado in terms of presentation, landscaping, cleanliness, and safety. In quality of services with very well cared for beaches. These are things that people who have traveled around the world value enormously.
Q-From your words it can be inferred that the municipality’s services will be maintained as if this were a traditional season packed with visitors.
A-People will come little by little as they solve their personal problems. We bet that Punta del Este will have tourism for many months in the year. Not to mention the whole year. There are cultural, artistic, social proposals directed at this and people will gradually find them. Here our main concern is the pandemic and the fear everyone has of it getting out of control. After this – with the vaccine coming – the panorama will be different. I have no doubt.
Source: Infobae