Senator slams government over homeless man's death in Montevideo

Senator Javier García of the National Party has sharply criticized the Uruguayan government following the death of a homeless man in Montevideo's Flor de Maroñas neighborhood. García expressed deep sadness over the loss of life, noting it's not an isolated incident. He particularly condemned what he described as the government "washing its hands" of the situation.

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First the sadness of the circumstances. It is not the first time it has happened, but each time it happens it is a life that is lost.

"The Mides minister did not appear, and the idea was for Sinae to cover for Minister Civila," García stated, asserting that the government must take responsibility for its citizens. He accused the administration of hiding and using Sinae as a shield, suggesting the issue of homelessness was being treated as an unexpected problem rather than a serious, ongoing crisis.

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Here I see that the Mides minister hid and the government hid and they made Sinae come out as if homeless people were something that appears unexpectedly.

The senator further highlighted the incident as evidence of the government's "incapacity" to address one of Uruguay's most pressing social issues. Meanwhile, Leonardo Palomeque, director of the National Emergency System (Sinae), acknowledged systemic flaws. He confirmed the deceased man, aged 42, had not been registered with Mides since 2021 and that his sleeping location was not mapped or known to authorities.

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I believe and we must recognize the failures, that the capture is failing. There should be no people on the street, especially when we have the tool of forced evacuation.

Palomeque admitted that while central Montevideo has better monitoring, the periphery suffers from a lack of oversight. He stressed the need for improved "capture" of vulnerable individuals, especially given the availability of forced evacuation measures during extreme weather. Sinae is currently housing all individuals due to a red alert for cold but urged public cooperation in reporting those in need.

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It is important, beyond the capture, the collaboration of the people in reporting those people on the street so that they can be addressed and transferred. The alert prohibits them from staying on the street and it is our obligation to shelter them.