As per reports, Uruguay’s Executive Branch has resolved to deploy Army armoured vehicles in police patrols across the Montevideo neighbourhoods from Tuesday (23 June), most affected by organised crime and gang clashes, a measure that has drawn political controversy.

• Interior Minister Carlos Negro announced the measure during testimony before the Chamber of Deputies’ Security Committee, confirming coordination with the Ministry of Defence to deploy 12 of 14 Mamba MK-7 tactical armoured vehicles, donated by the United States in an operation valued at approximately 11 million USD.
• President Yamandú Orsi confirmed the decision was taken jointly with the Ministers of the Interior, Defence, and Economy to intensify the fight against organized crime.
• The vehicles may remain under the command of the National Police, with each unit crewed by two military personnel responsible for driving and operational logistics, though deployments are scheduled to be exclusively police-led.
• The affected areas include the Cerro and Marconi neighbourhoods of Montevideo, where the armoured vehicles will be deployed under the existing Atenea and Dominio security operations.