Jorge Larrañaga, pre-candidate for the presidency of Uruguay: "I want a constitutional reform for security"

Senator Jorge Larrañaga again seeks to be the candidate of the National Party to the presidency of Uruguay. This veteran of politics will meet again Luis Lacalle Pou, in a trainee who counts other candidates as the businessman Juan Sartori. In dialogue with Infobae, Larrañaga said that the government of Frente Amplio is "an exhausted project"after 15 years in power and failure to control corruption. Consider that in Venezuela there a dictatorship and connects the position of Frente Amplio and the government on this issue with "past affairsHe also said that the National Party would maintain its political neutrality in Argentina's internal affairs during this year's elections, while Mercosur was to be restored.

– In your opinion, how does the government of Frente Amplio come to the elections after fifteen years in power?

-The Frente Amplio project is over. It is an exhausted project, because its candidates can not propose, for the next five years, what they had to do, treat, execute and accomplish for 15 years, they did not do it. By virtue of this, we think that a radical change is needed in the country. People demand it and that's why I think the possibilities of the national party to join the government are very important. Easy, there is nothing, but today, the alternative to the Broad Front, unquestionably called National Party and claims to be the candidate for change.

– Given the complaints about corruption cases, how does the national party believe that the public administration will find a general level if it reaches the government?

The Broad Front also failed to control corruption because it had it in government and in the management of state-owned enterprises. The proof is that for the first time in the democratic history of Uruguay, a Vice President (Raúl Sendic) resigns and is prosecuted by the criminal justice system. There is also mismanagement of public administration and worse management of state-owned companies that in some cases are monopolistic.

– Your political group (National Alliance) and citizen groups have managed to collect more than 400,000 signatures to promote constitutional reform in security matters. What is your badessment of this process?

– I claim to be not only the candidate for change, but also the constitutional reform for security. We want a very strong change in public safety. In our reform project, we are introducing full compliance with the penalties for criminals who commit serious or very serious crimes, with no reduction in years, as is the case now. Penalty of permanent confinement subject to 30-year review for aberrant crimes, night raids by order of the judge and creation of a national guard consisting of military personnel with police duties and respecting the police procedural code.

– Beyond security, what do you see as the main problem of Uruguay today and what the national party should do immediately if the government takes power?

-There is a mix of problems. The Frente Amplio has failed in social policies, in education, in security. The main problem urgently needed today is employment, with a policy that generates investment, development and social inclusion. This is undoubtedly the first point. The second point is to take the Republican leadership of public education, eliminating those who have corporativism of the education guild and a third point is to fight against the crime that unfortunately has a homicide rate of 11, 7 per 100,000 population, which duplicates Argentina and triples Chile.

– How do you see the emergence of "outside" candidates for politics, including the possible candidacy of the former Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Guido Manini Ríos or even within the National Party with Juan Sartori?

– They embark on the political arena and strive to win the support of the people. In a democracy, it can not be limited to be eligible.

– And you in particular, if you do not realize the candidacy of the national party to the presidency, can you agree to participate in the formula as vice president?

My one and only fundamental objective is to be the only candidate of the National Party to be president of all Uruguayans.

– What is your position on what is happening in Venezuela and what is your vision when you observe the actions of the government of Tabaré Vázquez on this issue?

-In Venezuela, there is a dictatorship and it can not be described in any other way. Dictatorships must be overthrown and there can be no neutrality, because neutrality ends up being complicity. Uruguay 's international policy towards Venezuela is regretted by the majority of Uruguayans. It is a people that suffers a dictatorship with the dead, political prisoners, hunger, migration and appropriation of public resources.

– So, in your opinion, why has the government decided to remain neutral in the face of what is happening in the Caribbean country?

– Trade relations between Uruguay and Venezuela have been contaminated by political relations and have entered a sort of ideological path in which there have been situations that were not transparent in bilateral relations. There are cases like the oil exchange for food and other businesses that started with Chavez and continued with Maduro. Then, the government was imprisoned, the favors received by Venezuela and the most radical sectors of the Broad Front finally immobilized the government and the Broad Front itself vis-à-vis Venezuela. And that is what explains the position of the government. It is unbelievable that a presidential candidate of Frente Amplio will end up saying that Venezuela is a democracy and that they do not dare to condemn this dictatorship.

The relationship with Argentina

– In Argentina, we are also in the election year. How do you see future relations between a government of the national party, a government of the current president Macri or another political sector?

-We are planning excellent relations with Argentina. Relationships that go beyond the political tendencies of governments have a long history of twinning, not only with Argentina, but also with Brazil and Paraguay. One of our governments will undoubtedly maintain excellent relations with Argentina. A small country like Uruguay can not put forward ideological prejudices that are superior to the interests of its people and national interests. This is fundamental and the National Party does not interfere in the political processes of other countries. We do not make a decision on any particular candidacy in any country. And it is a basis of neutrality vis-à-vis the democratic political contingencies of the countries.

– And within Mercosur, what is your position against those who propose a greater openness of Uruguay to the world with free trade agreements and which do not depend so much on the region?

Mercosur was struck by the ideological prejudices of its presidents, who favored politics over the interests of their countries. And the Mercosur was emptied. We must now reconfigure Mercosur and Uruguay, as a free nation, should not be cut off from a possible free trade agreement with the world. And in this area, we must move forward and, hopefully, be able to do so from the regional bloc. It is an indispensable and fundamental means of establishing honest relations within Mercosur.