Union corruption: What is known about SUNCA and FUS?

Last year, 2025, two of the largest unions in Uruguay, both led by union leaders from the Communist Party, suffered multimillion-dollar thefts and so far impunity is total.

The ones who stole from the workers were the Communist union leaders themselves.

Corruption in Sunca

SUNCA (Sindicato Único Nacional de la Construcción y Anexos) is going through a significant judicial process known as the "Fosvoc case," related to the embezzlement of millions in funds that were intended for workers' housing. 

The most relevant points are:
Embezzlement of funds in the amount of at least 1,200,000 dollars, according to the prosecutor in the case, Gilberto Rodríguez. 

In 2025, the embezzlement of more than one million dollars from the Fondo Social de Vivienda de Obreros de la Construcción (Fosvoc) was reported. 

The scheme included unauthorized transfers, the use of checks, and benefit applications for non-existent people.

Criminal convictions and expulsions

Several former union leaders, including Santiago Bernaola, Bruno Bertolio, and Víctor Rivero, were criminally convicted for the crimes of embezzlement, fraud, and criminal conspiracy. They were all members of the Communist Party. 

During the investigation, some of the union leaders involved stated that part of the money was used to finance the Communist Party of Uruguay (PCU) and the union itself. They specifically indicated that PCU list 1001 financed its 2024 and 2025 election campaigns with the money of construction workers.

Former Sunca union leaders such as current Communist legislators Óscar Andrade and Daniel Diverio have been mentioned in the statements.

Andrade has been identified as the mastermind who gave the orders for the embezzlement of the funds. 

In January 2026, the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) decided to issue an observation and a reprimand to SUNCA after confirming statutory violations and other irregular situations in its operations.

Corruption in FUS

 The historic union leader of the Communist Party, Jorge "Fogata" Bermúdez, was expelled from the private health union after 25 years due to extremely serious cases of corruption. 

In October 2025, FUS decided to expel Bermúdez after an assembly where he was booed by the workers.

There are several irregularities that have been detected. An external audit revealed the handling of union funds deposited in personal accounts of Bermúdez and of the former finance secretary, Héctor Dos Santos.

There was also a lack of supporting documents. The use of union money for personal expenses without justification was reported, including the payment of airline tickets for family members.

Bermúdez enjoyed a large personal office with air conditioning at FUS's central headquarters, as well as a high-end BMW automobile with a driver included.

After the audit findings, FUS's current board filed a criminal complaint with the Uruguayan courts to determine whether a crime was committed.

So far, neither the Communist Party nor Bermúdez himself has provided explanations on the matter.

Current situation today

So far, in February 2026, the prosecutorial investigations are proceeding quite slowly, and apart from the case of the already convicted Sunca union leaders, there have been no major developments.

The ones harmed by all these corruption schemes are the workers, working-class families who were stripped of their money by unscrupulous union leaders, almost all of them linked to the Communist Party, MPP, and the Socialist Party.