Lacalle Pou led this Thursday, August 25, the official act of commemoration of the 197th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in which the main government figures also participated.
At the commemorative act, which was held in Piedra Alta, in the city of Florida, the Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado, spoke, stating that “the search for freedom for every Uruguayan is the best way to commemorate a a date as important as the Declaration of Independence”.
For his part, Lacalle Pou made statements to the press on various issues in the midst of strong protests from different education unions.
Unsafety
In that instance, the president was asked about the string of murders that have occurred in Montevideo, seven in less than 24 hours. In this sense, he replied that the situation “concerns and occupies the government.” He remarked that “death is suffered by the person who loses his life, but also by the whole society.”
With regard to drug trafficking, he recalled that during his administration the alleged drug trafficker Gerardo González Valencia was extradited, the government “has record figures for drug seizures, the closing of base paste outlets, the seizure of goods and money, and the number of persons investigated and prosecuted for crimes. of drug trafficking”.
The president pointed out that the “Plan” of the Minister of the Interior, Luis Alberto Heber, to reduce homicides “is in practice”, but he clarified that it is not only for the homicides, but that it is a “Comprehensive Security Plan and to a large extent it does to the fight against drug trafficking”.
Lacalle Pou recognized that there are violent groups that “ravage certain neighborhoods and there is the hard and frontal combat of the police.”
“I am satisfied with the forms of combating crime, but not with the results,” he said.
Marset
Regarding the delivery of the Uruguayan passport to the drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, who was detained in Dubai for carrying a false Paraguayan passport, he said he felt “very upset, angry and hot”, but “unfortunately in legal terms it is what had to be done. We are modifying the current decree.
I support the ministers Luis Alberto Heber (Interior) and Francisco Bustillo (Foreign Relations) who were questioned about the case.
Lacalle remarked that the passport was not delivered expressly, as the Broad Front has said. He said that he spoke with all the political authorities of the ministries and leaves them calm that the political power, within the ministries, acted in accordance with the law, without prejudice to the fact that the result through legal means does not satisfy anyone and many are upset and unworthy.
He also supported the undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Carolina Ache, who met with Marset’s lawyer, Dr. Alejandro Balbi, before the drug trafficker was granted his passport.
fuels
On the other hand, the president was asked if the price of fuel could be lowered, as a result of the drop in the international price of oil and the fact that ANCAP obtained a profit of 128 million dollars.
“We will see the URSEA report, but we hope, at least, to be able to lower some of the fuels,” he said.
Activities
Regarding the occupations of the study centers promoted by different education unions, in rejection of the education reform, Lacalle said that “they have every right to express their disagreement, but there are some actions such as the graffiti, which do not occur”.
“Educational transformation is a very good action by the government, because it modernizes education, aims to personalize it, give schools more autonomy and change the curriculum, among other aspects. It seems to me that they oppose stopping or blocking, within their legitimate rights, but the government will move forward because it is convinced that it is the best way to do it”, he assured.
“I understand the exercise of the protest, I don’t know what inspires them, but the government will not stop the educational reform and will vacate all the premises that are occupied. And we didn’t have to hit anyone, we didn’t have to use violence; the images that have been seen on social networks are from many years ago. Now everything was with dialogue, ”she sentenced.
