Defense Minister Javier García rejected the possibility that the Commanders-in-Chief of the Armed Forces were present in Parliament to give his vision on the project that modifies the lHey Organic Military that the government proposes. The presence of military hierarchies had been raised by the senator and leader of Cabildo Abierto, Guido Manini Ríos.
The situation was made evident last Monday, when the issue was discussed in the National Defense Commission of the Senate. “They had asked me if we thought it appropriate to come accompanied by the commanders,” Garcia recalled at the beginning of his speech. The minister thanked the invitation, which he declined. “This is an issue of strict political definition, so it did not seem relevant to us,” clarified.
Garcia maintained there that his attitude is strictly attached to the National Defense Framework Law. There, he reminded him, it is established that the minister’s military adviser is the chief of the Defense Staff. That position is held by Rodolfo Pereyra, an air general who was present at the time. Any technical query on the subject, the minister specified, would be answered in this way.
“It was I who proposed the coming of the commanders in this instance,” heand clarified Manini Ríos. “I would have liked them to have been present because they are, particularly, those responsible for the forces that are going to be directly affected by this law,” lament.
Manini Ríos raised his doubts in some aspects of the project. For example, in the increase in the time spent in different ranks of the Armed Forces, such as colonel, lieutenant and colonel and major. An increase that goes hand in hand with the increase in the compulsory retirement age from 55 to 63 years.
The former commander’s doubt was whether the ministry had studied the impact that this reform would have in terms of vacancies and hierarchical mobility. His fear is that “plugging” in the ranks would generate a lack of vacancies in promotion, among other mishaps.
“I say this because that happened a long time ago,” he said. Mani Rios. The senator recalled that in the 1960s the ranks in the Army were “totally clogged.” To solve it, he said, special laws had to be made. “There were even people who bypassed the hierarchies to regularize their situation,” he assured. For example, moving up from lieutenant to major. “Nothing indicates that, if we do not take due precautions, this will happen again,” assured.
Don’t give anyone up for lost
Another “political decision” linked to the issue went through the flexibility that the new organic law raises the conditions for entry into the Armed Forces. The project lowers the requirement that applicants have completed primary education. Until today, basic secondary education is required, although school can only be admitted if the person completes high school within eight years of admission.
According to the minister, the Armed Forces have a series of positive circumstances. Among them, instilling in those who join their cadres a series of values, such as discipline, training and work habits. “It seems to us that if one could make this reach as many people as possible, especially those who are outside many circles of training and job possibilities, it would be one more instrument to add and to serve people in the future”, Indian.
“It seemed to us that we had to go to the consideration of admission with primary school”, Garcia said. To justify it, he paraphrased President Luis Lacalle Pou. “We don’t want to give anyone up for lost.” he pointed.
“Otherwise they could be abandoned in a world that gives less and less opportunities to those who do not have those levels of training,” he insisted. The idea, she said, is to provide more possibilities. Among them, carry out a change in citizenship. “Closing another door on them is negative in every way,” concluded.
