DistantNews
Support us
Military armored vehicle resumes patrols after breakdown, sparking opposition criticism
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Conflict & Security

Military armored vehicle resumes patrols after breakdown, sparking opposition criticism

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A military armored vehicle, the Cóndor, experienced technical failures on its first day of patrol in Montevideo.
  • The vehicle was quickly repaired and resumed patrols in the Marconi neighborhood.
  • Opposition politicians criticized the incident, calling the government's performance inept.

A newly incorporated military armored vehicle, the Cóndor, designed to bolster patrols in Montevideo's high-risk areas, suffered technical malfunctions on its inaugural day of service. The Ministry of the Interior reported that the vehicle was repaired on Sunday afternoon and has since resumed its duties.

This is how they govern. They are a not-so-funny comedy script. Cantinflas would never do better. A broken country.

— Sebastián Da SilvaSenator from the National Party, criticizing the government's handling of the armored vehicle incident.

The vehicle experienced issues less than 24 hours after deployment. Sources indicated that problems with air system hoses, gearbox oil leaks, a diesel smell inside the cabin, and a malfunctioning handbrake necessitated its temporary removal for technical inspection. The handbrake issue was particularly concerning, requiring wheel chocks to secure the vehicle when stationary.

increasingly a banana republic

— Graciela BianchiSenator from the National Party, commenting on the state of Uruguay following the incident.

The incident drew sharp criticism from opposition parties. Senator Sebastián Da Silva of the National Party derided the government's handling of the situation, tweeting, "This is how they govern. They are a not-so-funny comedy script. Cantinflas would never do better. A broken country." Senator Graciela Bianchi echoed this sentiment, stating Uruguay is "increasingly a banana republic," while Álvaro Delgado, president of the National Party's board, simply commented, "Close it and let's go."

Close it and let's go.

— Álvaro DelgadoPresident of the National Party's board, expressing frustration with the situation.

From the Colorado Party, Gabriel Gurméndez sarcastically noted the prior debate over who should operate the vehicles, suggesting, "Well... at least their internal dispute over whether the military should drive them is over..." The leader of the Independent Party, Pablo Mieres, recalled that the vehicle's introduction followed weeks of public announcements.

Well... at least their internal dispute over whether the military should drive them is over...

— Gabriel GurméndezFrom the Colorado Party, ironically commenting on the prior debate about who should operate the vehicles.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog