This is what the National Prevention Mechanism (NPM) informed about the situation of the 24-hour protection centers for children and adolescents in the Institute of the Child and Adolescent (INAU) in the northern region during 2024.

The report expresses concern on the half of centers in the region with minors linked to micro-trafficking networks.

It states that in several of these centers “situations of problematic consumption of substances were found, aggravated in many cases by the link to micro-trafficking networks”.

Situations of sexual exploitation and abuse were also found.

The approach to such problems is more difficult in the centers bordering cities in Brazil, with unplanned departures in which the minors were in Uruguayan territory as well as in the neighboring country, the report points out.

The monitoring was carried out in 10 of 13 centers in the departments of Artigas, Cerro Largo, Rivera and Tacuarembó.

Overcrowded conditions, failures in infrastructure, equipment and furniture were reported, as well as situations of violence and deficiencies in access to mental health and deficits in the adequate treatment of addictions.

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