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In celebration of Argentina's Army Day President Mauricio Macri officially announced he wants to put more military personnel on the streets to "take care of Argentines."
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Flanked on all sides by his secretary of defense and several military generals, Macri told crowds at today’s commemoration at the National Military College that the nation’s armed forces need to "collaborate with other agencies to provide logistical and security support to take care of Argentines in the face of current threats and challenges."
Macri told those gathered: "These are times of great transformations. The world is in constant flux and today we are witnessing events that are increasingly important. We need forces that adapt to the threats of the 21st century and that are prepared to face the problems that concern us today."
The president added he wants to see the army, navy and other military branches "contribute in foreign policy" in order to create "confidence (in these institutions) at a national level."
Chief of the Army, Claudio Ernesto Pascualini told those gathered that "the army is an insoluble part of society."
Macri’s announcement today comes after he alluded to changing decree 727 that prohibits military intervention in internal state security last Thursday. The president said then, "We can’t allow the opposition and unions to win the streets from us."
The head of state, who is slipping in the polls has faced a year of opposition from unions, social organizations and average citizens who are against Macri's radical austerity measures, and his recent decision to take on a US$30 billion IMF loan.
Last week, as thousands of people flooded the streets of Buenos Aires against massive state layoffs, low wages, and 25 percent inflation, the president said, "There are 80,000 men in the armed forces" who should be able to monitor "domestic peace."
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