Uruguay: Cerro fans hijack bus en route to Danubio, sparking strike
While around 50 Cerro supporters forced a public bus to detour under gun threat on their way to the Danubio match, the team still managed a 1‑0 victory, highlighting a stark contrast between off‑field turmoil and on‑field success.
Bus hijacking disrupts public transport
On Sunday morning in Montevideo, Uruguay, a group identified as Cerro fans boarded a line 306 bus and, under threat with a weapon, compelled the driver to alter the planned route from the Terminal del Cerro to Parque Roosevelt.
Minutes after 11:00, the men entered the vehicle at the curve of Tabárez; one approached the driver, pointed the gun at his head and ordered him to continue without stopping until the Intercambiador Belloni, adding roughly 13 kilometres to the journey.
A motorcycle rode ahead of the bus to cut traffic and facilitate the forced diversion, while about ten passengers inside watched the episode without being able to intervene.
Footage from an internal camera showed the fans singing, drinking and keeping a door open; the images are now being examined by the police.
The Asociación Sindical de Cooperativistas y Obreros del Transporte (Ascot‑Ucot) responded by declaring a strike that covered the entire Sunday and will continue on Monday, demanding answers and better security for transport workers. “Physical integrity and the life of our colleagues cannot be left to chance. We will not normalize violence that endangers those who work every day,” the union said in a statement.
Interior Minister Carlos Negro will meet a delegation of workers on Monday to discuss investigation progress and measures to reinforce public‑transport security. The case is under the jurisdiction of the 13th Turno Flagrancia Prosecutor’s Office, with the General Directorate of Security in Sport also involved.
On‑field result amid turmoil
Despite the pre‑match chaos, Cerro travelled to Danubio and secured a 1‑0 win, Alejandro Severo scoring in the 24th minute.
The victory came as the club sits at the bottom of the Primera División, with only 10 points from 15 matches – two wins, four draws and nine defeats – and the next fixture set for Saturday against Albion.
The juxtaposition of a violent transport incident and a hard‑earned win underscores the precarious environment surrounding Uruguayan football, where safety concerns for workers persist even as teams strive for on‑field success.