This Wednesday, February 1, with the presence of the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, Mario Stevenazzi took over as Commander-in-Chief of the National Army, a position held by Gerardo Fregossi.
The president greeted the troops lined up in the Plaza de Armas, handed over the saber, a replica of José Artigas’, to the new military chief and took part in the tribute to those who died in acts of service.
In the General Command of the Army, the Minister of National Defense, Javier García, praised the performance of that force in the present administration and, in particular, during the health emergency. The hierarch highlighted his participation in “border policy, closeness, assistance to the Ministry of Social Development”, during the aforementioned period and that they added to the tasks inherent to the defense of national sovereignty.
In statements to the press, García pointed out that Stevenazzi took over as head of the Army because Fregossi went into mandatory retirement due to his age. He recalled that the relief is a discretionary decision of the Executive Power. In this sense, the president and the higher command understood that Stevenazzi was the right person to lead the force at this time, due to his knowledge, backed by an extensive career in the country and abroad, in military and diplomatic missions such as aggregate.
The Secretary of State highlighted that the National Army is a bicentennial institution that continued the “artiguista doctrine”. He has fulfilled the missions that the higher, political and civil commands indicate, which have been “very well carried out” in these particular three years of Government, he asserted.
Stevenazzi announced, in his speech, that one of the issues he will emphasize is the adaptation process of “vital elements” necessary for the “professional and personal development” of the members of the force.
He affirmed that the armies are modernizing and the threats are changing, but that there is an irreplaceable and fundamental link in the system for the fulfillment of the objectives, which is the soldier, “a person who, while in service, dedicates his life to the fulfillment of duty”.
Likewise, he expressed that it is “the responsibility of every leader, at all levels”, to maintain the high standards of training of human resources, “sharpening ingenuity and inventiveness to fill the gaps”.
