The minister of Defense Armando Castaingdebat He announced that the portfolio carries out an evaluation of the behavior of the Wide Front in his 15 years of government “before the arrival of United States ships, warships or military planes” to Uruguay, based on the request for an appearance made by the opposition bench due to the controversy surrounding the entry of the ship Cutter James of the United States Coast Guard (USCGfor its acronym in English).
The crossings due to the arrival of the American ship without the parliamentary endorsement indicated in the Constitution, something that the government recognized as an “administrative error” continue to exist between the ruling party and the left-wing coalition, which took a firm stance in its denunciation of possible effects on national sovereignty in the actions of the Ministry of Defence and the Chancellery.
In this regard, Minister Castaingdebat referred at a press conference to the statement issued by both ministries, acknowledging the error. But he announced that they are internally analyzing what was happening in the governments of the Wide Front with these cases. “Today we find ourselves studying antecedents that are a little striking because they have not always proceeded in the same way. Maybe we asked to be received by the Parliament’s Defense committees,” he said.
“There are precedents from several countries,” he added, without giving more details but giving rise to the possibility that the Frente-Amplista governments would not pass through Parliament either before the entry of foreign military forces or vehicles.
Regarding the request for resignation made by senators of the Broad Front, Castaingdebat said that he was “powerfully struck by the fact that certain limits are crossed in order to generate a political fact.” “In politics, not everything goes, there are unwritten codes that are respected. Institutionally we recognized the error and we are seeing how similar cases were proceeded before,” she stressed.
The opposition’s claims
He Wide Frontfor its part, summoned the ministers Castaigndebat and Omar Paganini (RREE)to provide explanations to the Parliament due to the entry of the American ship.
“It is a frankly negative precedent,” considered the Broad Front deputy. Eduardo Brenta, in dialogue with Radio Monte Carlo. “It is a serious error, therefore the Frente Amplio bench decided to convene both ministers to a commission, for the purposes of analyzing the situation and finding mechanisms that allow compliance with the Constitution of the Republic, that requires at every opportunity that troops or military equipment or vehicles of any origin enter, the National Parliament, for a matter of sovereignty, whether or not it authorizes entry,” he explained.
Although the Ministry of Defense recognized the “procedural error” and assured that the ship would only carry out protocol activities and supply fuel, the unrest was established and among the legislators of the Wide Front The resignation of Castaigndebat and Paganini was even requested.
Brenta also referred to the twists and turns that occurred in the official communication after the ministries involved recognized the error. In that sense, he said that “the version regarding the entry of the ship and why varied throughout the day.” “First she entered and then a version appeared that she was actually coming only to protocol activities”, He pointed out, in relation to the attempts to calm the controversy due to the lack of parliamentary approval, justifying it – or reducing the seriousness of the situation – in the non-existence of military activities.
However, the Frente Amplista deputy pointed out that “an invitation had previously been sent to legislators from all parties to attend activities carried out on the ship.”
Furthermore, the bench of Wide Front It adheres to the same statement from the Ministry of Defense in which it recognized the “procedural error.” There he stated that “given the material impossibility of being able to complete the corresponding parliamentary procedure, any military activity that said ship could carry out in coordination with the Armed forces”. That is to say, at first the government recognized the existence of planned military activities or, at least, the possibility that they could occur; Therefore, the entry of the Cutter James was not strictly protocol, as was later officially circulated, but rather it was an a posteriori decision.
“The Ministry of Defense has demonstrated a notorious incompetence and a very poor handling of an issue that, although it may seem formal, is extremely delicate for national sovereignty,” said Brenta, in relation to the reason for calling Ministers Castaigndebat and Paganini to appear.
Source: Ambito
