Cecilia Cairo resigned as Uruguay’s Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning on Thursday after admitting to failing to regularize her house’s construction and update its real estate taxes for over 20 years.
This controversy arose when it was revealed that her minimum tax payments did not align with the size of her residence, prompting public and political pressure.
President Yamandú Orsi plans to formally accept her resignation, which came after a private meeting between the two.
Cairo, affiliated with the Movimiento de Participación Popular (MPP), initially resisted stepping down but eventually yielded to calls for accountability.
This incident represents the first significant challenge to Orsi’s cabinet in more than a month, and the government has yet to name a successor.
Cairo is expected to return to the Lower House after leaving the Senate earlier.