MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mujica: like street kids, beg money in every crossing and corner for the sake of science

“Yes, I went to ask for money from Merkel”, said the Uruguayan president

“Uruguay must act like the kids begging in the corners and traffic light crossings, asking for a dime from whoever” said President Jose Pepe Mujica on recalling the importance of funds from what ever origin to sponsor and promote scientific research.

Mujica was speaking this week at the fifth anniversary of the French Pasteur Institute chapter in Montevideo.

“We have to beg like the kids in the streets”, said the Uruguayan president who immediately added “I’m telling the (Education and Culture) minister to go straight away to the German embassy in Montevideo to request for funds”.

Mujica then revealed that during his recent visit to Europe where he met among other leaders with Germany’s Angela Merkel, “the Chancellor told me she was willing to support with funds for research into the development and manufacture of vaccines”.

“Yes, I went to ask for funds from Merkel. We have to act like the kids in the street corners asking for a dime from whoever crosses”.

Mujica went on to say that confirming “the precious value of the country’s scientific research and knowledge should be a national truth and cause”, because Uruguayans tend to forget “that scientific effort is the key for sustained and fair prosperity”.

Likewise Mujica said he was concerned and disappointed with the primary results of the ongoing census since it shows serious structural demographic problems.

“The next chapter of data from the census will stun us. We are a country of old people, an aging population with serious risks of extinction”, said Mujica…

Ricardo Erlich, Minister of Education and Culture said that the mounting of an affiliate of the Pasteur Institute in Montevideo is “a true experience that favours the country, which has also been applied the Uruguayan Centre for Molecular Imaging”.

Dr Guillermo Dighiero, president of the Uruguayan branch of the Pasteur Institute said that having such state of the art lab and other facilities helped with the return of several scientists, besides preparing others to continue their higher studies overseas.