Macri called to settle "historic debt with the armed forces of democracy"

The President


Mauricio Macri
ratified "the deep commitment to settle the historic debt we have with the armed forces of democracy" and the


decision to advance in the military reform
announced last week in Campo de Mayo. He affirmed that by heading tonight the annual camaraderie meal with the Armed Forces, in the Libertador building's hall of honor, in front of the main military authorities.

"They accuse us of violating the democratic consensus of defense, but this is not the case.We invite everyone to debate, to join the work together, it is the Armed Forces of all Argentineans ", said the President, referring to criticisms made by the opposition sectors and human rights organizations. "We must work together in this process of conversion, thinking of the present and, especially, the future of our military forces," he added, before toasting the country.

They raised their glbades, at the main table, Minister of Defense,


Oscar Aguad;
Chief of Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Bari del Valle Sosa; the army chiefs, General Claudio Pasqualini, Navy, Vice Admiral Jose Luis Villán, and Air Force Brigadier General Enrique Amrein; the head of the Cabinet,


Marcos Peña,
and the provisional Speaker of the Senate,


Federico Pinedo.

The President admitted that "this process of transformation is not easy: we have an obsolete national defense system, after several decades without investment and the absence of long-term policies" , describing the challenges of improving the military environment. He explained, in this sense, that the country needs a modern territorial deployment of the armed forces according to these current challenges. "In this way, it is necessary to update the doctrine and also the plans of the military career, in particular by reinforcing the use of new technologies," he said.

Macri specifically mentioned the reform that provides, among other actions, the sending of troops to the northern border to collaborate with logistical support in the prevention of drug trafficking, among other tasks.

As announced, approximately 500 soldiers will be transferred, at first, to the border areas for these tasks of support. According to LA NACION, the official mobilization is scheduled for August 14, with the dispatch of troops from military units near the northern border, as the brigades of Montaña V (located in Salta), Monte III (Resistance) and Monte XII (Posadas), among others.

"They will not all go out together and the idea is to take advantage of short distances," says a military source. The government's intention is to gradually expand the deployment of military personnel for support tasks to the security forces.

This is an operation that is already partially accomplished and that will now intensify. The Air Force, for example, has deployed A4 planes to badist in the interception of irregular flights and a Bell 412 helicopter in Resistencia, as part of the support provided to the Escudo Norte program, led by forces of security.

In this message, Macri announced that the Argentine Aerospace Factory (Fadea) will deliver three Pampa aircraft this year as a sign of the military equipment equipment improvement effort [19659016].
Directive on National Defense Policy, explained in Decree 703/2018, published yesterday in the Official Journal. These are the criteria set by the government, with the aim of "consolidating the insertion of Argentina in the world", contrary to the guidelines that had been prepared by the former president Cristina Kirchner, framed in the "Bolivarian logic", as defined by LA NACION a source close to the defense zone

In addition to promoting the participation of the armed forces in foreign policy. He stressed the "valuable work of maintaining the uninterrupted presence in Antarctica, contributing to the growth of the scientific system". With regard to the Antarctic campaigns, he said that "we are now fighting them on our own."

Macri insisted that the country needed armed forces close to the people, helping Argentinians deal with disasters, natural disasters and emergencies. Kind, accompanying and saving lives. "And, recalling the recent 20% increase in badets in the sector, he promised that the government" will continue to move forward to improve the pay scales of military personnel. "