Who is Guido Manini Ríos, the Uruguayan "Bolsonaro" that Tabaré Vázquez has arrested as head of the army

The crisis between President Tabaré Vázquez and the General was triggered by two facts: the pbadage to the Court of Honor of soldiers accused of human rights violations in the last dictatorship and their calling into question. actions of justice, to which a meeting is added. that Manini Ríos had with the National Party deputy, José Arocena these last days.

To these two facts, statements of Manini Ríos were added in a radio program a few hours before the meeting with Vázquez. In the program "Everything goes" (Ocean FM), the general who had to retire until the end of 2020, He has not ruled out engaging in political activities when he has ceased to perform his duties.

MP Arocena in dialogue with Infobae He confirmed that the meeting with Manini Ríos took place at his home in the Florida Department last Sunday. Local residents, mostly retired soldiers, attended this meeting. On the topics discussed, Arocena said "we are not talking politics, because Manini Ríos can not do it constitutionally. We talked about our visions of the future of the military and we agree that it should have an artiguistic appearance."

The relationship between Manini Ríos and Arocena goes back a long time, because the wife of the commander in chief of the army so far is directed by the National Party of the department of Artigas. Arocena said the army returned "This is a man with capital letters"Noting that you observe the cessation"with deep pain for Uruguay. President Vázquez has not acted with the same rigor with his ministers who participate in partisan political acts in violation of the constitution, and even the president himself. Vazquez and his ministers have violated the constitution and now he claims others, what he does not do"

The government issued a statement early in the afternoon, in which it explained why the commander-in-chief of the army had been sacked. It is stated that in referring to the content of the special Court of Justice judgments concerning the soldiers who are submitted to them, makes serious questions to the judiciaryBelieving that "the Uruguayan courts have repeatedly removed themselves from the most basic principles of the law, giving no guarantee to the accused, in short, has applied a kind of law to the enemy "and added that"In many cases, the courts did not act in accordance with the basic principles of law and there was no impartial trial when the accused were military."and"many defendants convicted without proof or due process"It was also announced who would be his successor: General José González, director of the military school and currently general of the Third Army Division.

Manini Ríos from a long time ago He maintained a confrontation with President Vázquez on several issues. One of them was the reform of the Military Fund, which has a deficit of nearly 600 million dollars a year. The government intends to remove some benefits for retired members. And the commander-in-chief of the army has opposed it so far.

His concern for soldiers who would be transferred to a court of honor for human rights violations under the last dictatorship and some of the ideas he has introduced in interviews, such as the military should be involved in educating young people who do not study or work. The government was also annoyed by some of the general's comments on his Twitter account, from which he expressed his ideas. "There is no organization, there is no institution more popular in Uruguay than the national army"," This little flag with a sun and 9 bands on the left arm of our soldiers is today synonymous with solidarity and hope for the most fragile internal and external borders … "or" Les times are changing … but the will to fight for A better Uruguay and serve the country are always the same … ", are some of the messages.

To top it off, a few weeks ago, a new political party (Cabildo Abierto) attracted the sympathy of Manini Ríos. Although the law states that up to four years after his retirement, he can not engage in any political activity, Manini Rios is perceived by opposition to the current government as a "very good" future Minister of the Interior or Defense in case the National Party and Colorado triumph.

This would be the coup of sending the elections of 2024, in which the retired general could be candidate for the presidency, with a line "Bolsonarista"The general had a conversation with the Brazilian president when taking office, but after meeting with a photo of the meeting, Manini Rios, who was part of the official delegation of the event, said that it was only an "official greeting".

In the Uruguayan political spectrum, the departure of Manini Ríos has had repercussions. National Party Senator Javier Garcia said: "The dismissal of the commander is a decision of the FA trainee and the victory of the radical sectors that demanded it." The president gave in to an institutional problem. Presidential candidate Luis Lacalle Poú (National Party) said on Twitter: "The dismissal of the commander-in-chief is an institutional responsibility of the president. General Manini held this position with institutional loyalty and respect for the rules. He was a worthy commander. "For its part, the former president Julio María Sanguinetti expressed"Commander Manini announced that he would take some proposals to the president. Obviously, they did not understand each other and the president, in the exercise of his faculties, relieved him.. The episode is that; nothing more or nothing less. It is interesting to know the terms of the conflict. "The presidential candidate of the Frente Amplio said on Twitter:" Our democracy unites us above all, the government of Frente Amplio is once again a guarantee: "Nothing seems too much to prevent the demotion on the fine path of freedom "-Gral. Artigas, December 7, 1811. "Everything and nothing outside the Constitution" Dr.T. Vázquez.

Guido Manini Ríos, 59, studied at the French high school and has a degree in history. He graduated from the Army in 1978. His family has always been linked to the political clbad in Uruguay.
His grandfather, Pedro Manini Ríos, was Minister of the Interior in the early 20th century under the government of José Batlle y Ordoñez. In 1923, President José Serrato appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs and, under the dictatorship of Gabriel Terra (1933-1934), he was Minister of Finance. His uncle, Carlos, also had an important career in the Colorado party. During the Colorado governments in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he served as Minister of Culture and Finance, then Ambbadador to Brazil between 1971 and 1977. At the Restoration of Democracy (1985), the President Sanguinetti appointed Minister of the Interior.