The President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, participated in the opening of a new edition of the Latin Annual Meeting that will take place between March 31 and April 1 in Punta del Este, department of Maldonado.
Among the issues on which he was consulted, he made reference to the importance of Mercosur consolidating bilateral trade agreements as a way of strengthening the bloc’s economies.
In the interview conducted by Argentine journalists Alfredo and Diego Leuco, Lacalle Pou recalled the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13, 2020, and recounted the chronological process of decisions and measures taken by the administration under his charge. In this regard, he emphasized the importance of not having decreed a mandatory quarantine and of having maintained a virtuous path of trust between the population and the Government. He also remarked that the country is not divided into two halves.
On another topic, he replied that the Uruguayan people have the democracy they deserve, that no one is more than anyone else, and that the political system is absolutely valid. “Public opinion, both angry and positive, is channeled through political institutions,” said the president, who also highlighted the role of unions and business chambers.
In another section of the interview, and consulted on the war between Russia and Ukraine, he stated: “The most important players are the United States, the European Union, with France as leader, and China, if it plays.” He also assured that Venezuela is not a strong ally in the conflict.
Regarding the application of cryptocurrencies, he argued that it is a matter of trust, rather than what the currency itself is worth, and that the important thing is to know who is behind it. “When a government embarks on that, it must have regulation,” he said.
In response to the query regarding which Argentine president, since the return to democracy, he feels closest to, he expressed respect for everyone and said that whoever his counterpart is will be fine. “We have a good relationship,” he said, adding that both nations are currently on a positive, realistic agenda. “We are working on the navigability of the rivers,” added the president, and stressed that there is permanent dialogue between Foreign Ministers Francisco Bustillo and Santiago Cafiero.
On the occasion, he noted that the opening of Mercosur is a point that is in the negotiation stage and that so far there are no agreements. In relation to this aspect, he exemplified by mentioning the trade between Argentina and India, an issue on which Mercosur should express itself. “We are going to tell them to go,” he assured. In this sense, he ratified the need for Uruguay to achieve trade agreements, mainly with China.
The journalists consulted the president about the possible settlement of Argentines in Uruguay, and he replied that his nation falls in love with daily things, easy to do, and with the solidarity of the population. “Let them come and invest, because they know that there is tranquility to do business and live,” he said. At that point, he emphasized the transformation of human customs and how Uruguay adapted to it. He pointed out that 15,000 people came to live with a residence during the pandemic, most of them Argentines, Brazilians and some Europeans.
He defined Argentina as one of the richest countries in the world and singled out its population for defending nationalism.
Asked about how Uruguay handles inflation and compared to the neighboring country’s guarimos, Lacalle Pou said that “Uruguay has inflation,” adding: “I am not a mercantile leader, nor do I believe in hyper-regulation. There are human behaviors that must be understood, and the economy is a very important part of the lives of human beings. Certainty and trust are important”, she specified, and stressed that countries must have laws that are possible to comply with.
At the end of the interview, he answered about his relationship with social networks, personal physical care, the relationship with Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera and other aspects of his life and political future.
