Evo Morales and Nicolás Maduro are on this list. Here we tell you, how they expended large amounts of money

The luxuries of some Latin American leaders contrast with the austerity they proclaim in public. These cases cause impotence in the people they govern, when their work for collective welfare is not carried out as promised.

Leer en español: Los lujos más absurdos de 3 presidentes latinoamericanos

1. The wastage of Maduro

Carlos Berrisbeitía, representative of the opposition in Venezuela, revealed in 2014, for the newspaper ABC of Spain, that Nicolás Maduro in just one year of government gave himself the luxury of spending more than nine million euros on trips abroad, invitations to his friends, gifts, phone calls, purchase of clothes, shoes, and lotions. The revelations caused great indignation among Venezuelans.

Another event of great controversy was the dinner of the Venezuelan leader in the restaurant 'High Bae' in Istanbul, Turkey, where he was served by the renowned chef Nusret Gökçe. Maduro shared the moment in his social media account. The publications were later eliminated due to rabies comments from thousands of Venezuelans. The plate cost 250 dollars, equivalent to eight minimum wages in his country, according to CNN.

2. The luxurious Government Palace that Evo Morales built

After three years of construction, the government of President Evo Morales ended the new Government Palace, a building of 29 floors, of which 26 are for offices and there are three are underground. The work has been named by Evo Morales as "the Great House of the People" and will replace the old presidential house, built in the 19th century.

Also read: The 3 most viral mistakes of Latin American presidents

The anger among Bolivians is that the building has a suite of 1,000 square meters with sauna, jacuzzi, massage room, and gym for the use of Evo Morales, as indicated by Bolivian media, considering the president is a promoter of austerity. The work, which had a cost of 34 million dollars "is a monument to waste, waste and waste of state resources", the opponent Maria Calcina told France 24. The money had to be invested in public health, said Calcina

3. The airplane of Enrique Peña Nieto

Although the presidential plane must have security and comfort for the president and his delegation, the remodeling of the Boeing 787 jet, which Enrique Peña Nieto requested, triggered a storm of criticism. The improvements include the installation of a meeting area, a private room with a jacuzzi bath and shower, sophisticated communication equipment and a discreet space for the delegation, journalists and other staff that accompany the president. The remodels cost, according to CNN, 32 million dollars.

This figure does not include the purchase of the plane, which without remodeling was worth 218 million dollars, amount thta will be pay during 15 years. For Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, newly elected president of Mexico, the airplane is an absurd luxury that not even Barack Obama had, says Reforma.

In July 2018, despite the costs, the plane failed the central board computer card two hours after takeoff, so Enrique Peña Nieto and his entourage had to leave on another plane while they fixed it to Puerto Vallarta , Jalisco, where the Summit of the Pacific Alliance was inaugurated, says La Opinión.

In his campaign for the presidency, AMLO announced that he would sell it. The days of the presidential plane are about the end, but in the memory of the Mexicans will be the waste of Enrique Peña Nieto.

LatinAmerican Post I Edwin Guerrero Nova
Translated from "Estos son los lujos absurdos de 3 presidentes latinoamericanos"

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