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Uruguay Ponders Future Role of Army
- Many Uruguayan adults are having second thoughts about their armed forces, according to a poll by Interconsult published in Últimas Noticias. 55 per cent of respondents believe it is unnecessary for the South American nation to have a costly army, since the country would probably not need to defend its sovereignty.
Tabaré Vázquez—nominee for the leftist Progressive Encounter (EP)—won the October 2004 election with 50.45 per cent of the vote, becoming the first Uruguayan president to represent a political organization other than the Red Party (PC) and the National Party-Whites (PN-B). Vázquez has pledged to investigate human rights violations committed during the military dictatorship of the 1970s and 1980s.
Close to 14,500 soldiers, 6,000 sailors and 3,000 airmen currently serve in Uruguay's armed forces. The troops are participating in 11 United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, including one in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Polling Data
Would you say it is necessary or unnecessary for Uruguay to have a costly army, since the country would probably not need to defend its sovereignty?
Necessary | 41% |
Unnecessary | 55% |
Not sure | 4% |
Source: Interconsult / Últimas Noticias
Methodology: Interviews with 600 Uruguayan adults, conducted in late October 2005. No margin of error was provided.
