Soldiers from the Battalion continue to cut down eucalyptus trees in the “Lavalleja Park” in the area of Playa de La Agraciada, known as Casas Blancas. This is a matter of concern to local residents due to the possible sale of firewood to individuals when loaded onto an unofficial truck.
After 7 soldiers were cutting firewood in Casas Blancas on Sunday evening, the mayor of Soriano, Guillermo Besozzi, was consulted by EL ECO about the matter and found out what was happening. He claims that the detachment belongs to the army itself, to the Infantry Battalion No. 5, and has a municipal permit to cut down eucalyptus trees, both for its own use and to exchange firewood for food in a shop in Fray Bentos.
“They have at least two salamanders in the barracks, which is where they use firewood and even take those (soldiers) who are in camps,” said the community leader.
The reason a “private truck” is used for transportation is because “they cannot load firewood onto the trucks they use” in the battalion.
Although there is a part that is marketed outside of what is the army’s own use, “it is not that it is sold, but it is exchanged for dry food supplies and things for the people (soldiers), because as the troops do not earn much, it lightens their pockets this way.” Exchange for firewood: “it is done in a medium-sized grocery store, I think it is in Fray Bentos.”
Likewise, to respond to the concerns of local residents and to the query of this weekly, army authorities will find out “if the trucks are going where they should and that nothing unusual is happening.”
The mayor’s office authorizes the extraction of firewood from this place, because “the battalion is always helping us with many things, for example, with lodgings now that there is a car rally. We ask for 15 soldiers and they always send them free of charge, while if we ask the police they charge 222. We work on many things” with the army, such as “cleaning local roads so that the machines can come later,” explains Besozzi.
