President Lacalle Pou in Sauce for the act of birth of Artigas and protesters in defense of water. @MVDNews pic.twitter.com/csnpVVzhXa
— Diego Martini Lemos (@cabezamartini) June 19, 2023
In an act that brought together citizens concerned about the lack of access to drinking water at the metropolitan level, as a consequence of the drought, in Sauce de Canelones, the protesters expressed their discontent and urgency to solve this problem.
The lack of drinking water, in the context of the most bloody drought the country has seen in decades, brought together neighbors who wanted to make this situation visible and draw the attention of President Luis Lacalle Pou.
The lack of this basic resource directly affects people’s quality of life, so the community decided to come together and raise their voices in a peaceful but energetic way.
“The town’s water is delivered to the capital with the Neptuno, UPM, Montes del Plata, soybean, Irrigation Law, green hydrogen and Google projects. It’s not drought, it’s looting!” read a banner from a local. “Mr. President: There is water. Stop the gift to the powerful and bring it now. The water is ours”, read the banner held by a woman and which caught the attention of the mayor of Canelones, Yamandú Orsi, who agreed with the message.
Meeting in Torre Ejecutiva for the water problem
Lacalle met with several ministers and leaders due to the absence of rain in almost a year that has resulted in a severe water crisis that has Montevideans and Canaries drinking salty water from the tap.
“Our ally, the one who solves the problem, is the rain. And unfortunately no water has fallen, ”said the president about the meeting on Monday in which he summoned his hierarchs to take“ more measures ”.
“The Ministry of Economy was summoned, because here there is going to be an economic outlay in this regard. Also to the Ministry of the Environment and the OSE, the OPP, the Ministry of Defense and MIDES to assist those who need it the most,” he added.