Senator Warns Against 'Messiah' Expectations for Former President's Speech Amidst Rising Insecurity

Senator Sebastián Da Silva has urged caution regarding the high expectations surrounding former President Luis Lacalle Pou's forthcoming address to party militants. Da Silva stated that Lacalle Pou is "not the messiah" and that many within the National Party are overly reliant on his leadership, potentially hindering their own commitment to the country's challenges.

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Luis is not the messiah. There are many comrades who, due to a lack of commitment, lean on the arrival of the messiah to imagine a successful election.

Speaking on the "En Clave País" program, Da Silva emphasized that the responsibility for Uruguay's future rests on all party members, not solely on the former president. He anticipates Lacalle Pou's speech will be more philosophical, focusing on Uruguay's current crossroads rather than specific government policies or the upcoming 2029 elections. Da Silva expressed a strong desire for the speech to avoid electoralist rhetoric, given the gravity of issues like rising homicides.

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The commitment to the country and the cultural battle must be fought by all of us National Party members; it's not that the messiah will come and tell us what to do.

Da Silva also addressed the issue of insecurity, asserting that current government and previous administrations share no "shared responsibilities" for the escalating violence. He pointed to the "legacy of José Mujica," suggesting a past "inattention to Uruguay's core values" and a "relativization of education" contributed to the current situation. He specifically cited the alarming frequency of violent incidents, such as "60 bullets," which he claims were not seen in previous eras.

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If they kill with 60 bullets, it's because they have the weapons to do so. These thugs who go around killing like dogs don't have any idea how much the bullet they are firing is worth, otherwise they would sell it because it's worth much more than a hit of base paste.

In response to the security crisis, Da Silva proposed revisiting a plebiscite to amend the Constitution and remove the prohibition on nighttime home searches. Despite previously expressing reservations about repeating plebiscites, he now believes it is necessary, citing extreme events like the grenade attack on the prosecutor general. He also suggested a change in leadership at the Ministry of the Interior, advocating for a prominent political figure to take charge due to what he described as "terrible results."

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The results are terrible and obviously there must be a change; we need a prima donna, a top political figure, who has the capacity...