MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan President highlights the importance of freedom

“If Uruguayans are not freer, if they do not feel freer, if they are not, then we will have failed,” Lacalle said

Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou was highly praised for his speech before rural producers of his country and Argentina, where he addressed the issue of freedom.

“If Uruguayans are not freer, if they do not feel freer, if they are not, then we will have failed,” Lacalle said at the First Binational Congress of Sustainable Leadership, organized by the Central and North Córdoba regions of CREA (Regional Consortiums for Agricultural Experimentation).

Lacalle Pou maintained he had always believed the success of a government was to be measured by those who live in the country. “We want Uruguayans to be freer, free to be able to educate themselves and have tools, to have a decent job and support their families, to be able to express themselves with respect without being punished for it, to be able to trade with the rest of the world to compete.”

The Uruguayan President also insisted on the importance of trying to “build bridges” and seek agreements. “Certainty and trust are key in individual and collective life,” said Lacalle.

Regarding his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lacalle stressed he had always tried to communicate ”very clearly“ the situation and ”also what we were not clear about,“ in which case it was essential to lend an ear to other opinions.

”When there is no manual when there is no successful experience at hand, you have to look inward,“ Lacalle went on. Freedom “belongs to the individual inserted in the community.”

“We handle ourselves with the concepts of freedom, responsibility, solidarity,” the Uruguayan head of state pointed out, but he also admitted, in the end, the final decision was up to the President, who thus becomes ultimately responsible for the consequences.

Lacalle also underlined sustainability was a “generational obligation” for current world policymakers, although environmentally sustainable practices can be more onerous than others, less healthy paths Uruguay shall not be taking.

“Our production will be oriented there. Uruguay is in an objective starting situation in which it has many elements in its favour,” Lacalle elaborated as he highlighted steps that do not involve borrowing should be taken to move towards “friendly practices with the environment.”

The Uruguayan President also addressed his country's experience in meat production with ”the addition of technology and knowledge.“ The product has ”total traceability, with barcode“ that makes it ready ”for the requirements of this modern and demanding world.”

Read also: Uruguayan authorities halt second beef shipment to China which failed to meet quality standards — MercoPress