The Broad Front (FA) summoned the Minister of National Defense, Javier García, to the commission of the Chamber of Senators that analyzes these issues after The Observer informed that the Navy concealed the true circumstances in which one of its boats capsized and spoiled its expensive electronic equipment, reported Senator Sandra Lazo.
At first, the Navy told the press that the ROU 51 auxiliary boat “Isla de Flores” crashed during a towing exercise in the port of Montevideo. But, in reality, the boat turned over as part of a procedure to take three obsolete boats out to sea that the commanders had decided sink in the middle of the Río de la Plata, confirmed The Observer.
In the procedure, the overturned boat was towed -turned around- towards the port of Montevideo. Once in the port, the sailors tried to get it out of the water, lifting it with a crane. But the boat first rose, but then it fell and hit the water, which aggravated the damage to it. This episode occurred in November. And Navy sources told The Observer that silence was ordered to all those who had participated in these events.
In addition, the procedure was carried out without the corresponding authorization from the Ministry of the Environment, which had not authorized the sinking of three ships in the Río de la Platata.
On the other hand, García will also be consulted about the tender to acquire two patrol cars IPO, that the government planned to buy for the Navy but that ultimately did not prosper, since the tender was declared void.
Garcia had announced that instead, Uruguay was “seriously” exploring acquiring two or three used ships of the Nordkapp class, of 3,200 tons and 105 meters in length, whose cost is much lower, and that they planned to use the rest of the authorized money to acquire more material of “different types”.
Despite the public communication, China Shipbuilding Trading Co (CSTC) – one of the three companies that submitted to the tender – assured that it was not officially notified about the decision, and had asked to activate the clause that allows negotiations to lower the price of the offer.
