The mayor of Rio Branco, Christian Morel, will be the incumbent for 2023. Lacalle Pou highlighted the work of the mayors and highlighted the Government’s decentralizing vocation to solve the population’s problems. Also present were the Vice President of the Republic, Beatriz Argimón; the Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado; the Minister of National Defense, Javier García; the Undersecretary of Transport and Public Works, Juan José Olaizola; the president of the Congress of Mayors, Guillermo López; mayors from all over the country and the general coordinator of the Decentralization Area of the Planning and Budget Office (OPP), María de Lima.
The President of the General Assembly stated that “the societies of the 21st century that have chosen to strengthen the third level of government are the societies whose democratic scaffolding is beginning to be more agile, and agility is what we need, because many times what is criticizes is what is delayed in the decisions and the distance with those who make the decisions”.
He added “you are the ones who have given it that indispensable agility in all this, which is to strengthen the system of a country with a great democratic adherence, but we also know that we have to take care of that democracy every day and this change of authorities gives the agility to strengthen the country”. Lacalle Pou, for his part, highlighted the teamwork between the central government and the departmental ones, over which he valued the figure of the mayors. In reference to the infrastructure works in the interior, he said that there is a commitment to renovate local roads. There is no need to discriminate between a national route, a departmental route or a neighborhood road, because they all make up the country’s transportation system, he pointed out.
Regarding the works that benefit the localities, he emphasized the one carried out on the bridge between Perseverano and Lares, in Soriano, one of the first carried out during this administration, which facilitated transit, in addition to improving the quality of life of the inhabitants. . “That is the vocation of this government,” he stressed.
He also highlighted the task of the mayors, as a tool for the Government to know the needs of the small towns of the country and to act to solve them.
He also pointed out that it is vital that public companies and ministries reach every corner of the territory. “When I see that Antel is going to install 90 antennas, when a call is made to bring sanitation to 60 localities, when working in the settlements of many towns and villages, there is a decentralizing hand as this government has a vocation,” he said.
During the 11th session of the Plenary of Municipalities of Uruguay, the Undersecretary of Transport and Public Works presented the National Road Infrastructure Plan, presented a few months ago. Olaizola recognized the fluid dialogue with intendants and mayors, who express the concerns and needs of works for the different localities of the country.
The plan determines an investment of 3,300 million dollars during the five-year period, through which Uruguay promotes the reactivation of the economy, with new financial instruments, such as rehabilitation, maintenance and financing contracts (Cremaf), promoted by the Executive, he detailed.
Olaizola recalled that 905 million dollars will be invested in road works in 2022, which represents 7,692 kilometers, of a total network of 8,833 nationwide. In 81.1% of the national routes there will be works underway in this period, he revealed.
In addition, the pavement will be recovered along 4,440 kilometers and in another 2,610 the standard of materials used will be changed. In this way, pavement resistant to cargo transport will be implemented and the bitumen will be replaced by asphalt mixture or concrete, with a durability of 7 to 10 years, without the need for new interventions.
The Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (MTOP) will also determine 642 kilometers of new works and another 375 to reach “zero ballast” throughout the country, as well as 230 bridges, with an investment of 413 million dollars, a record figure in a government period. In this sense, works were carried out on the La Charqueada and Perseverano bridges.
The ministry coordinates with the National Road Safety Unit (Unasev) the construction of 100 roundabouts, 10 interchanges and 71,500 meters of third lanes, which will improve traffic safety conditions on the main roads. The investment in this matter in this period will be about 118 million dollars.
Olaizola recalled the importance of decentralization and joint work between the national and departmental governments. He also highlighted the execution of the Social Agreements program, which tripled resources in this period.
After Olaizola’s presentation, the new authorities of the executive board of the Plenary of Municipalities of Uruguay were elected. The mayor of Rio Branco, Christian Morel, was appointed president of that body for the period 2023.
Argimón: work will be done with Brazil to improve the commercial opening of Mercosur
Vice President Beatriz Argimón predicted a good relationship with the elected government of Brazil. Argimón maintained that work will be done to improve the commercial opening of Mercosur and stressed that the ideological shift in the countries of the region must be respected as it responds to democratic elections.
“As Brazil is a brother country with which we also have the formation of Mercosur, it is expected that we can strengthen ties,” said the vice president.
In this sense, he explained that it is expected to be able to “advance something that our president has demanded, which is the opening of this market that we built together.”
“Hopefully we can work on a modern perspective of Mercosur,” he said.
