John Polga-Hecimovich, associate professor of political science a the U.S. Naval Academy: “While there is a worry that the breadth and depth of the Astesiano scandal—which is still unfolding—may weaken domestic perceptions of the quality of Uruguay’s democracy and transparency, the country’s institutions are well-positioned to withstand its fallout. Uruguayan trust in democracy is the highest in Latin America, and corruption perceptions are the lowest. These tendencies don’t change overnight. Moreover, the public prosecutor’s office has already taken swift action against Astesiano, demonstrating its institutional autonomy and probity as well as intolerance for this type of public corruption. Internationally, the scandal’s effect on Uruguay’s reputation will probably be muted given the level and scope of other corruption scandals in the Americas. With that being said, the accusations are embarrassing for the Lacalle Pou government, which was elected on a law-and-order platform, and they…”