The former Minister of Defense, Oscar Aguaddescribed the appointment of the lieutenant general as “a mistake” and, at the same time, “new” Carlos Prestiat the head of said national portfolio, since he is the first active military officer to assume that position during a democratic government in the country.
“The only warning I have is that you cannot appoint an active military member. It seems to me that Presti should retire, first because the law does not allow it, the military cannot mix in politics and also to avoid creating confusion,” he said during an interview in Infobae Liveled by the journalist Gonzalo Sanchez.
Aguad delved into the distinction between the functions of a government and the role of the Armed forces when warning: “Defense is the exercise of a political position and the political leaders who hold positions of that nature adhere to the government in power”. The Armed Forces cannot join any government in power, they are an instrument of defense. It seems to me that this confusion should be resolved, it is a mistake.
He also stressed that the concern about the appointment could be resolved if Presti He presents his resignation and takes office as a civilian: “The president has to accept the resignation of a lieutenant general,” he said.
During the conversation, water emphasized the regional comparison and the historical link between politics and the military in Argentina: “Do you know what the difference is between the Chavista and Kirchnerist regimes? Chavismo incorporated the Armed forces to his political apparatus. The Kirchners did not achieve it even with (César) Milani. We must avoid that confusion. That is why the role of Minister of Defense has to be a political role, not a military one. That is why they can appoint a military man as minister, but he cannot be active,” he repeated before the journalists’ eyes. Ramon Indart and Cecilia Boufflet.
When asked about institutional risks, Aguad ruled out that the Argentine institutional situation enables political participation by the military, but stressed the importance of clarifying any doubts: “I do not believe that Milei is in this situation and also because the Armed Forces of Argentina are absolutely adhered to the democratic system and there is no way to move them from there.” The experience of the Armed Forces in the repression of 1970 was a lesson they learned for life.
In relation to the sensitivity of the area, water He stressed: “The Argentine Constitution “reserves to the President, without intermediaries, two areas of the government that are exclusively his responsibility, Foreign Relations and Defense, since the latter is an instrument of the country’s foreign policy, which is why they are two very sensitive areas and are strategic for the development of the country.”
Regarding the strategy and current defense legislation, the interviewee warned: “First we must change the Defense Law, made at a time when all the threats that exist today did not exist”. Everything in the world changed, technology and the digital age changed everything, including Defense, which is the one that changed the most, let’s say. What’s more, defense is the reason that technology has changed,” he noted.
water He also maintained: “I believe that there is a lack of a comprehensive defense strategy, the equipment of the Armed forcesthe salary of the military, the “The training of the military has to be legally incorporated through new legislation”he suggested.
In that sense, he reconstructed the failed attempts to modify the law: “We (under the administration of Mauricio Macri) we tried to make a law, the outlines of the law are there, the government of Alberto Fernandezhe also tried it (Luis) Petribut finally a law must be written. The defense law does not foresee today, eh, that the Armed Forces intervene in new threats such as cyberattacks, such as the issue of terrorism and such as the issue of drug trafficking.”
And when analyzing the possibility of action in the face of internal security challenges, he emphasized: “Today, defense is not only outside, The defense may require the help of the Armed Forces within the country, because cyber attacks are carried out there. That is to say, the entire concept of what defense is has to change and the training that the military has, the equipment that is made of the force, the salary of the military depends on that. That’s missing in Argentina.”
Regarding the suitability of a military man as Minister of Defense, Aguad was specific: “I don’t think he has any advantage because the military is already in positions of leadership of the force. That is, military instruments are managed by the Ministry of Defense, which dictates the policies, and the Armed Forces execute them.”
When asked if Presti is a suitable person, he responded: “All soldiers are suitable, because they are very well prepared for that. The Argentine Armed Forces are very well prepared for the role they have to play. What happens is that politics must define the role“He also clarified: “Today there is no specific role. If you buy an F-16 and you need it for support, and you also need such a submarine, such a destroyer and you don’t have it, that is, it is simply a patch. The integrity of the defense requires a policy and the military is the one who executes those policies,” he exemplified.
Asked about the tenor of the criticism of the Government for Milei’s decision, Aguad said: “The Government is making decisions that were not made before.. The issue is knowing what the results are. “We are still in the process of implementing the policies.”
And, finally, he evaluated the management of the outgoing minister Luis Petrihe said: “I think had few resources to reformulate and reconvert the Armed Forces(for this) an enormous amount of economic resources is needed that Today the country does not have anything to dedicate to Defense. Maybe it’s not a priority today.“Although I am convinced that the development of the country depends on priorities, among which defense is one of them.”
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