The Army's Passages

El Mostrador, Saturday, May 25, 2019

Dear Director:

I find it remarkable that about 10 days ago, the head of the Army, General Ricardo Martínez, acknowledged that the Army’s approach and understanding regarding passages were not the most appropriate. It is uncommon to find institutions in Chile that are capable of recognizing their mistakes, reviewing and improving their internal processes, and continuing to perform their duties despite the challenges they have had to face. This is not the first time the Army has done something similar, as General Cheyre years ago made a recognition regarding the Army’s incorrect actions during the military government.

An Army that takes such actions deserves all our respect and support, as recently expressed by the Minister of Defense, Alberto Espina. We must allow the Army to move forward and focus on its responsibilities, as no Chilean benefits from an Army entangled in courts and under public scrutiny due to its actions in previous years, which today already shows renewed processes in procurement, passages, administrative activities, and control.

Richard Kouyoumdjian
Vice President, AthenaLab

Source: El Mostrador