The Minister of the Interior of Uruguay, Nicolas Martinellihas adopted an approach focused on fulfilling his responsibilities since taking office in 2022. Throughout his career, which includes roles in the Ministry of Social Development and advisory services to the Presidency, Martinelli has maintained a low profileprioritizing the actions necessary to address the challenges in the public safety.
In his administration, Martinelli has highlighted the importance of self-criticism and commitment to improvements in security, indicating that, although some progress has been made, there is still a need to continue working. His statement that “We have a lot to improve. We are not satisfied” resonates as a recognition of the path ahead.
Evaluation of homicide rates
With regard to the reduction of homicidesthe minister has indicated that it has been possible to stabilize the figure with a slight decrease compared to previous years. Since 2018, where they were registered 421 homicidesthe figures have shown some decrease, although not abruptly.
The comparison with previous periods highlights that between 2010 and 2019, homicides grew by 110%in a kind of soft and underhanded criticism of the Frente Amplio, because in those years the strength of the left was in the government.
Martinelli emphasizes the need for a political agreement in the long term to address security problems. He expresses that it is essential to have State policies that are not reconfigured every time there is a change of government. In this sense, he mentions that the current government has tried to establish a multiparty agreement that focuses on the underlying causes of violence, rather than taking a punitive approach.
Did the coalition lose due to insecurity?
For Martinelli, the right-wing coalition was not defeated by the issue of insecurity, despite the fact that in various measurements Uruguayans maintained that concern at the top.
“I don’t think it was the only element and I don’t know that it was the determining element either. All crimes have decreased, the levels of perception of security are much lower than they were at the time of the Frente Amplio; Now it is at 50% and when they were there it was at 75%. There are 10,000 fewer robberies per year, there are 25,000 fewer thefts per year…that is to say that important work was done. The issue is multi-causal,” said the leader in his interview with Montevideo Portal.
And he pointed out once again against the Frente Amplio: “Even the Frente Amplio did not dare to get so involved in the issue of security, first because they never found a valid interlocutor to talk to and second because they knew that they had completely failed. They broke all the records, but the bad ones. Now, I believe that it is not the time to analyze the causes of why it was lost, despite having all the favorable indicators.”
Implementation of security measures
The minister has also confirmed that of the 16 measurements proposals to improve security, most are already in the process of implementation. However, he has criticized the opposition for not supporting some of these initiatives, even though many of them were initially suggested by the Wide Front. He has also indicated that the regional relations and has mentioned the creation of a virtual police station to facilitate access to complaints.
Regarding the recent political defeat of the ruling party, Martinelli maintains that, although security may have influenced, it is a phenomenon multicausal. He confirmed that, despite the favorable results in various security indicators during his administration, there is a need to carry out a more exhaustive analysis to understand the reasons behind the electoral result.
Expectations for the next government
Regarding the management of the Wide Front In the field of security, the minister remains with a moderate expectation. Expresses its hope that ongoing projects that address the causes of violence will continue. Martinelli emphasizes that work on these causes can take time and that, while progress is made in these aspects, it will also be necessary to focus on strategies for repression of crime.
Likewise, the minister highlights the connection between the educational system and crime, pointing out that many of the young people who are currently detained come from an educational environment that has left them vulnerable in the face of the influence of organized crime groups.
Collaboration with the Prosecutor’s Office and reforms in the prison system
The relationship between the Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office has shown progress under the direction of Monica Ferreroaccording to Martinelli. The creation of unified homicide task forces has improved efficiency and could help reduce feeling of impunity in the population.
Finally, the minister highlights the need to carry out reforms in the prison system. Although he recognizes the lack of financial resourcesa white paper that will outline a strategy to improve the conditions of the prison system in the coming years. Martinelli concludes that, despite the challenges, efforts are being made to lay the foundations for a transformation that requires time and patience.
