The Observer – Montevideo
The President of the Republic, Yamandú Orsi, referred this Tuesday to the public security situation in Uruguayhighlighting the importance of trusting the institutions in charge of guaranteeing it, despite the difficulties that may arise.
“Sometimes there are signs that are complicated,” the president acknowledged at a press conference, but he stressed that it is essential to continue trusting and betting on the work of the authorities. “You have to continue trusting and betting that you have the people to solve (the cases) well, or as best as possible,” he added.highlighting the need to recognize the efforts of institutions, especially the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office, in resolving security problems.
Asked about the crime figures released this Monday, Orsi expressed that he “relativizes” the percentages used in crime reports. “That changes, because it is the reality of Latin America today and we have to be very careful,” he indicated, emphasizing that he prefers to analyze long-term data to obtain a more precise vision. “What interests me is to see how strong the population’s trust in institutions is,” he said, highlighting that long-term perception is what really matters.
The president also mentioned the need to “clarify the situations we havewhich are complex”, and pointed out that we must take into account the “feelings of the population”, which also plays a key role in the evaluation of security in the country.
Regarding his relationship with the authorities of the Ministry of the Interior, Orsi explained that he did not request specific measures, but rather offered his support. “There was concern, yes, several conversations, but there is confidence in the work being done,” he stressed, reaffirming his support for the policies and actions implemented to guarantee security.
This Monday the Ministry of the Interior presented crime figures until September 30, 2025, highlighting a decrease in several crimes. Homicides decreased 0.7% compared to the same period in 2024, with 277 cases recorded. Complaints of theft decreased 12.3%, while theft decreased 8.1%. However, complaints of rustling (14%) and domestic violence (0.1%) increased. In total, 31,773 complaints of domestic violence and 742 of cattle rustling were registered.
Diego Sanjurjo, manager of the Statistics and Applied Criminology Area of the Ministry, highlighted that most crime indicators showed a decrease, although some, such as homicides, remained stable. He acknowledged that the homicide rate in Uruguay is high, doubling the world average, but highlighted that it has remained stable since 2019, except during the pandemic.
