Former National Police Director, Commissioner (R) Mario Layeradeclared himself in favor of “Yes” in the referendum for the repeal of the 135 articles of the Law of Urgent Consideration (LUC) that will be held on March 27.
“Faced with the imminent democratic instance of a referendum to repeal or maintain 135 articles of the Law of urgent consideration, I understand it appropriate as a citizen who for approximately 38 years developed his work as a professional in the area of public security, 32 as an active Police Officer, express my support for voting “YES”, “says Layera in his letter.
The former chief considers it opportune “that this act has as much information as possible to help make the citizen’s decision and that it reflects the popular will on issues so sensitive to peaceful coexistence, which will impact the search for individual and collective well-being.”
These words did not sit well with the senator of Cabildo Abierto, Guido Manini Ríos, who assured that he should remain silent.
“What is the alternative? Set criminals free? Not increase the repression?” Manini Ríos told the press this Thursday morning.
“Layera knows a lot about citizen security because he is one of the main people in charge in the years in which he had responsibilities in the Ministry of the Interior and lived through the entire process by which all the security with which the Uruguayan people had become accustomed to fell. live and it’s not the same anymore,” he added. And he continued: “So it is clear that he has a lot of experience on this subject and I think the least he can do is call himself silent, having the share of responsibility that he has.”
This is the full text of Mario Layera’s letter:
Given the imminent democratic instance of a referendum to repeal or maintain 135 articles of the Law of urgent consideration, I understand it appropriate as a citizen who for approximately 38 years developed his work as a professional in the area of public security, 32 as an active Police Officer, express I support voting ‘YES’.
This expression of opinion is motivated by considering it opportune for this act to have as much information as possible to help make the citizen’s decision and that it reflects the popular will on issues that are so sensitive to peaceful coexistence, which will impact the search for individual well-being. and collective.
I have made statements, when I held the position of Director of the National Police, recognizing the situation in the area of citizen security as serious. The constant increase in complaints, the rates of violence, the damage to the family unit, the community, the social fabric, leave no doubt about the threat that is being faced, in a global framework that will affect all human beings and our little The country is no stranger to these problems.
However, under these circumstances and the future threats to democracy as a political system of government, a cultural, social and institutional model chosen to live in our space, it cannot be sustained by the fear it provokes, which is why I am opposed to any narrative that seeks manipulate in this way, THE HEALTHY JUDGMENT OF COMMON SENSE, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND NATURAL EVOLUTION THROUGH STUDY THAT GIVE US MORE KNOWLEDGE TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS.
It is clear to me that in the last electoral contest it was used as a strategy to oppose and then reach the government, install the story of insecurity and fear, then propose a political program as a solution, “live without fear”, which I did not reach the vote in the consultation held at the same time, despite winning the government.
By way of the majority obtained, immediately even facing a greater danger in the order of public health, a global pandemic, this program was processed, which at its center has the police institution as the main “tool” to eliminate the problem, including in a law of urgent consideration, when the priority on the facts focused everyone’s attention on the health system and did not prioritize the debate and due study of the measures to be implemented.
Only with a great effort, a citizens’ movement managed to enable an opportunity to think and resolve differently. Like many of them I am not satisfied, because of the form and the content.
But, in addition, without referring to all the aspects of what is intended to be repealed through the “YES” vote, what drives me is the internal knowledge in relation to the Police and security, which I want to summarize in three concepts that make up the spirit of the law, life, liberty and authority, without a doubt essential in democratic values, which in my opinion confuse life/property, liberty/detention, authority/human rights instead of protecting.
If I were only guided by comfort, selfishness and speculation that constantly haunt us in professional life, of course I ignore that balanced judgment that these values must contemplate; the vast majority of police officers, due to their dedication to service, understand it, perceive it, only a few want to walk the path of injustice, nothing separates them from those who break the law, the rest of us know that respect is a two-way street that is built raising the professional level and quality of our work, obtaining the confidence of those who are the subjects of sacrifice, our society, the citizen, without broad recognition it is impossible to move forward legitimately. What do we need to comply? that their representatives support us with fair protection, granting dignity in performance through the budget and the opportunity of knowledge.
It doesn’t seem to me, just as an example, that we advance with loss of salary, with lack of human and logistical resources; that instead of giving opportunity to young people and especially to women, motor of change and renewal, retired police officers who have already completed their cycle in the Institution are admitted; to whom we will always recognize their value and well-deserved rest from the demanding tasks that operational action demands.
This law not only changes the paradigm of the balance that requires the progression of police action, from prevention to repression, but also the just recognition that the Police are not alone in security, they are part of the integrity of the system. It empowers the police to face any situation of social conflict more than organized crime, corruption and gender violence; a hit man is not going to be dissuaded, nor is drug trafficking, nor does he feel it, on the contrary, it exposes the police to ignore the risks in these cases and confront the common citizen with the excessive force of the ill-considered “war.” The promotion of Intelligence that gives us knowledge is the way to overcome this transit in our time, not force, our own past has already shown it
Acknowledging the problem is one step, understanding the complexity and scope is another, solving with only repression is simple and leads to a police state that does not correspond to our democracy and respect for human rights, so recognized internationally, equally than our police.
Maldonado, March 9, 2022.
General Commissioner (R) Mario Ramon Layera Panzardo.
