The indignation of the union was accentuated by the absence of Minister Nicolás Martinelli at the funeral of the agent, who was shot in the back in the Marconi neighborhood when he was riding his motorcycle after finishing his shift.

Conasip also pointed out the lack of pronouncements from President Luis Lacalle Pou and other government officials.

According to a statement from the police unions, “the silence of the government in social media, media outlets and official channels reflects an unacceptable lack of commitment, sensitivity and support towards the family of the murdered officer, as well as the entire Public Force”.

The coordinator demanded the resignation of Martinelli, whose term of office ends on the last day of this month, prior to the inauguration of the Frente Amplio government on March 1st.

For its part, the police union of the department of Canelones, Sidepac, regretted the incident and said that the police officers today perform functions and services in which the “State is absent”.

The National Police is being used as a “cold water cloth to try to put out a fire that has no control”, he said.

In a public statement the union questioned the lack of public policies to reverse the situation of violence and argued that structural solutions depend on the State, which, in its opinion, “failed as such”.

Meanwhile, the Montevideo police captured one of the alleged perpetrators of the homicide and said to have seized the weapon with which the crime was carried out.

ef/arm/mem/oo