Orsi used a campaign-donated car to help pay for his Hyundai, Búsqueda reports

MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tuesday, June 2nd 2026 - 10:54 UTC

Presidency says the Renault Stepway was a “personal donation” from CarOne to Orsi, raffled for the Frente Amplio; with no winner, the car stayed with him.

Uruguay's president, Yamandú Orsi, used a vehicle that had been donated to his 2024 election campaign as part of the payment for the Hyundai he bought days before taking office, according to the weekly Búsqueda, which reconstructed the deal from various sources. The car, a Renault Stepway, had been provided by the dealership CarOne during the Frente Amplio's presidential campaign.

Orsi purchased a Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid in February 2025 for 54,000 dollars, according to the invoice issued on the 21st of that month, eight days before the inauguration. The model's market price is around 79,000 dollars —the same figure the president had listed in his sworn declaration— meaning the transaction involved a discount of close to 25,000 dollars. The gap was detected by the radio program Así nos va, hosted by Patricia Madrid, based on the declaration filed with the Transparency and Public Ethics Board (Jutep).