Uruguay accuses Spanish shipyard Cardama of fraud; company calls it political interference

The Uruguayan government has filed civil and criminal charges against the Spanish shipyard Cardama, which was contracted to build two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) worth more than US$92 million, after detecting alleged irregularities in the company’s performance bond. The case has escalated into a diplomatic and political dispute, with Montevideo accusing the shipyard of fraud and Cardama denying the charges, claiming it is being used for “electoral purposes.”