“We have borders that are like a sieve, tremendously porous,” said Minister Castaingdebat
The defense minister said he wanted to “modify” the law to give the armed forces “a little more autonomy” in border areas.
Defense Minister Armando Castaingdebat spoke about the situation on Uruguay’s borders and stated that they are currently “tremendously porous.”
“Today we have borders that are like a sieve, extremely porous, with drug trafficking being the threat we face, which has no economic limits,” he said at a press conference.
He went on to say that “in this regard, the government has made decisions to strengthen the three forces and fundamentally to protect the border.”
“The Armed Forces are at the country’s service in everything that has a legal framework that protects and supports them. Today they are present at the border and in the perimeter guard of prisons and that is what there is today in the legal framework that allows the Armed Forces to act,” said the head of the portfolio.
Castaingdebat believes that “the border law should be modified to allow the Armed Forces a little more autonomy in controlling” these areas.
Finally, he also spoke about the proposal by Senator Guido Manini Ríos to declare a national emergency in terms of security.
“I think it has been discussed. I am not in favour of the emergency, we are aware that things have improved, we are aware that there are still many things to do,” he said and continued: “But, well, that is the good thing about the diversity of opinions, about belonging to a coalition and everyone being free to express their opinion on what they think is best for the country.”
