The President of the Republic, Yamandu Orsiexplained that the government’s intention to use armored vehicles of the National Army for support the National Police on patrol dangerous neighborhoods consists of “use infrastructure that the Ministry of the Interior would be lacking“.
Orsi pointed out in a press conference from Paysandú that he discussed this issue with the ministers of the Interior (Carlos Negro), Defense (Sandra Lazo) and Economy (Gabriel Oddone), but that the details of the proposal will be analyzed in the next cabinet meeting.
Last week Negro announced in the Security Commission of the Chamber of Deputies that the Interior was working with Defense to sign an agreement that allows the National Police have the support of 12 armored Mamba modelwhich were donated by the United States and finished arriving in Uruguay last March.
The minister assured the commission that these vehicles They would follow orders from the National Police.
Orsi said that the initiative will not necessarily be limited to Montevideo, since on the border the National Army already carries out surveillance tasks, as well as on the perimeter of the prisons.
“We have to see what is the best legal way to resolve it. But we’re going to figure it out.“said the president and added that depending on what “infrastructures” are used, the presence of the military will be required or not.
In the case of Mamba vehicles, for example, Broad Front senator Bettiana Díaz explained that they necessarily require leadership by a military officer, since management is a complex and specialized task..
“There are some that do or do need Army personnel and others that, suddenly, can be led by people from the Ministry of the Interior.. It depends which one. But the idea is to have armored vehicles to be able to work better on the streets,” said Orsi.
As happens with the military who carry out surveillance tasks in prisons, the president maintained that for these police operations the government will have to see what type of incentive is offered.
“Just as the soldiers who are in the prison perimeters have a bonus, here it is also appropriate that if any of those vehicles are driven by them they also have an incentive or it will be a commission pass. We will see what is the best way but the concept is resources that Uruguay has, it cannot have them unemployed, it has to be able to use them.“he stressed.
Asked about the similarities that may exist between the current proposal and the one presented at the time by former presidential candidate Jorge Larrañaga, Orsi responded: “I am the president of the Republic, I propose what seems to me to be best at all times. “With the former minister and former senator Larrañaga we agree many times on a lot of things, not on others, but the best thing for the country is what I am going to propose.”
