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Montevideo homicides linked to criminal gang feuds, says Interior Minister
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Crime & Justice

Montevideo homicides linked to criminal gang feuds, says Interior Minister

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Uruguay's Interior Minister Carlos Negro stated that the recent homicides in Montevideo are primarily driven by conflicts between criminal gangs.
  • He noted that police actions, such as dismantling gangs and arresting leaders, can sometimes escalate internal violence as factions vie for control.
  • Negro also addressed the "More Neighborhood" plan in the Cerro area, acknowledging the complexity and predictability of violence in such challenging zones.

Uruguay's Interior Minister, Carlos Negro, has attributed the recent surge in homicides across Montevideo to an ongoing "struggle between criminal bands." Speaking at a press conference following the capture of alleged drug trafficker Sebastián Marset in Bolivia, Negro addressed a series of violent incidents that have concerned the public.

Without a doubt [the homicides] lead us to worry about the causes of that violence, and in these homicides, a common denominator is seen, which is the struggle between criminal bands.

— Carlos NegroUruguay's Interior Minister Carlos Negro explaining the root cause of recent homicides in Montevideo.

On May 25, Montevideo witnessed a triple homicide in the Cerro neighborhood, followed by two more killings just blocks away in Marconi on the same day. Negro referenced the recent arrest of "El Kane," a prominent drug trafficker in Maldonado, who was apprehended with three kilograms of cocaine and several military-grade weapons. He cautioned against drawing hasty conclusions from short-term statistics, emphasizing the need for careful analysis of homicide trends.

Negro explained that police interventions, which involve dismantling criminal organizations and incarcerating their leaders, can inadvertently fuel internal conflicts. "This can lead to increased levels of violence," he stated, citing the case of "El Kane" as an example where arrests can trigger power struggles within the remaining factions. He acknowledged that such violence is a potential consequence when law enforcement actively targets criminal groups.

This can lead to increased levels of violence.

— Carlos NegroMinister Negro describing the potential consequence of police actions against criminal organizations.

Addressing criticism regarding the "More Neighborhood" plan in the Cerro area, a zone described as one of the country's most complicated, Negro acknowledged that violence in such contexts is "predictable." He characterized the incidents as "specific but very complex situations that occur in these areas." The minister's remarks come as authorities continue to grapple with organized crime and its impact on public safety in the capital.

They are specific but very complex situations that occur in these areas.

— Carlos NegroMinister Negro commenting on the predictability of violence in complex urban zones like Cerro.
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.

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