Between eight and 10 US troops will enter the country between April 7 and May 16, amid a deepening of the relationship between Uruguay and the United States.
Special forces troops USA they will reach Uruguay between April 7 and May 16 to carry out joint exercises with the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU), after the Senate approved the initiative.
Joint activities between the Uruguayan and American forces are a possibility that was revived with momentum last year, after the trip of the then Minister of National Defense Javier García to the Pentagon, where the main objective was to relaunch cooperation with the North American country in defense matters.
In addition to the purchase of weapons and the receipt of donations of equipment destined for the local Armed Forces, the intention to improve Uruguayan capabilities not only in terms of material but also knowledge was always on the table.
In this context, the Senate approved the entry into Uruguay of between eight and ten soldiers from the special forces of USA, for almost a month and a half – between April 7 and May 16 – to carry out joint exercises with the FAU.
As explained by the former Minister of Defense and current member of the Chamber, “the characteristics of the exercise are of enormous importance for our Armed Forces due to the capabilities that the armed forces of USA and the tasks that our forces perform mainly when they are deployed in peace missions.” Negotiations for this activity began under García’s management in the portfolio.
A relationship that deepens
The most recent chapter in the deepening of the relationship between Uruguay and USA In terms of defense was the visit of the head of the Southern Command, Laura Richardson in early February. There, the general assured that the North American country seeks to “strengthen cooperation” in security with the country and announced the donation of equipment: four Bambi buckets and other supplies intended for extinguishing fires; along with 50 breathing apparatus for fire departments.
In turn, Richardson pledged to consider “new opportunities to collaborate in support of shared goals that benefit our people, our nations and our hemisphere,” while noting: “We will also discuss the support of USA to Uruguay under our security and humanitarian assistance programs.”
Although negotiations for military equipment precede the arrival of the head of the Southern Command – for example, the purchase of 20 armored all-terrain vehicles for 1.7 million dollars -; Her visit promoted cooperation in the purchase of material within the framework of the cooperation system called Foreign Military Sales (FMS)through which the country will seek to acquire trucks and radars.
Source: Ambito
