In late-2024 Uruguays political scene got a shake-up when Guido Manini Ríos‚ ex-army chief running on security platform got way less votes than expected; his party dropped from eleven to just two parliament seats
The election showed interesting trends: voters didnt support night-time police raids proposal and picked Yamandú Orsi who opposed harsh police methods. This happened while crime stays a hot topic — since early-2010s murder rates went up-and-down (with latest rise starting bout three years ago)
Montevideo port became a major drug-transit point; criminal groups from Brazil Colombia and Mexico moved in. Recent tragic events (like a drive-by that killed a baby last month) made people worried‚ but they still dont want extreme measures
- Brazilʼs First Capital Command
- Colombian crime groups
- Mexican cartels
The contrast with other countries is clear: Honduras used emergency powers to fight extortion‚ Ecuador declared war on gangs; and El Salvador under Nayib Bukele went full-force with mass arrests in a huge new prison
Uruguayʼs mild approach comes from its history — the country had military rule in 70s-80s (when last president José Mujica spent 14 years behind bars). Today bout 40% of people dont trust the army much
Instead of copying others Uruguay picked its own path: they made weed legal bout ten years ago to cut criminals income; passed smart police reforms in 2020; and now work on better crime-fighting methods without breaking democratic rules. Current proposals focus on stuff like: better cop training more police in rough areas and help for poor people