The new Liberal government taking over in Uruguay on March 1, following elections there three months ago, will include three Jews in prominent posts, the World Jewish Congress reported today.
According to the Latin American branch of the WJC, no Jew was elected to national office in the new government, whose main personalities — with President Julio Maria Sanguinetti at the helm — have been for many years proven friends of the Jewish community and of Israel. However, one of the 19 mayors of the country is a Jew. He is Benito Stern in Maldonado, whose jurisdiction includes the famous beach resort of Punta del Este.
In the capital of Montevideo, the mayor chose a Jewish engineer, Luis Lieberman, to head the vitally important department of public works and services. A third Jew, Julio Kneit, was appointed an economic advisor to the new government. Kneit is a former president of the Kehila.
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