Sanguinetti: Military Vehicle Controversy 'Re-Exposes Old Contradiction of Uruguayan Left'

Former Uruguayan President Julio María Sanguinetti has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the government's decision to deploy military armored vehicles for neighborhood patrols in Montevideo, labeling it as a re-exposure of the "old contradiction of the Uruguayan left."

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the controversy over the decision of the government to use armored vehicles of the Army to patrol some neighborhoods of Montevideo 'once again exposed an old contradiction of the Uruguayan left'.

Sanguinetti asserted in his weekly column for Correo de los Viernes that while growing public concern about crime pushes for firmer measures, certain sectors within the ruling party are still influenced by past political and ideological baggage. He believes the debate is not about risks to democracy but rather about the difficulty some leaders face in adapting to a reality that demands effective responses to rising insecurity. He drew a parallel to the controversy over President Yamandú Orsi's visit to the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in May, describing the reaction then as "infantile" and citing Fernando Pereira, the president of the Broad Front (FA), as offering a "convoluted and confusing explanation."

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While the growing citizen concern about crime pushes for firmer measures, sectors of the ruling party react still conditioned by the political and ideological wounds of the past.

The former president highlighted that the current issue is twofold: it involves U.S.-origin military vehicles from the Uruguayan Army being used for patrols in poorer Montevideo neighborhoods. He stated there is nothing unusual about this, noting that the Army has assisted police tasks for many years without replacing them, such as border patrols or perimeter security for prisons. He recalled that in the past, the Army also guarded embassies and other institutional sites to free up police resources.

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the debate does not revolve around risks to democracy, but around the difficulty of some leaders to adapt to a reality that demands effective responses to the advance of insecurity.

Sanguinetti suggested that a military presence in certain neighborhoods, such as soldiers providing security at bus stops or forcibly removing street dwellers, would likely be well-received by the majority today. He also alluded to the popularity of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, suggesting that Uruguay, despite its liberal and moderate tradition, might not be far from embracing similar populist approaches if a demagogue were to arise. He acknowledged that Uruguay's historical context differs significantly from El Salvador's, which experienced a civil war and has issues with former guerrillas involved in common crime, unlike Uruguay's experience. He concluded by suggesting that the "frentistas" (referring to the Broad Front) are facing setbacks, particularly after their strong opposition to repression and their criticism of traditional parties' governments, which he implied may have irresponsibly influenced a generation.

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infantile and seemed that they were at the wake of their parents.