Country Snapshot

Population: 3,413,329 (July 2003 est.) Size, comparable to U.S.: slightly smaller than the state of Washington Per Capita GDP, not adjusted for PPP (year): $3,666 (2002) Income, wealthiest 10% / poorest 10%:  50.4/1.6 (1998) Population earning less than $2 a day: <2% Ranking, Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index: 33 out of 133 Defense Expenditure as a percentage of GDP: 1.3 (2001) Size of armed forces: 24,000 (2001) U.S. military personnel present: 13 (2003)

The U.S. government has sought to promote the Uruguayan military’s role in international peacekeeping missions. Uruguay participated in six United Nations peacekeeping operations in 1998. In 2000 the United States will continue this support by using Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds to provide peacekeeping-related equipment and training to Uruguay’s armed forces through the Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities (EIPC) initiative.

According to the State Department’s 2000 Congressional Presentation for Foreign Operations, the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program will also emphasize peacekeeping. However, the March 1999 Foreign Military Training Report indicates that only a few IMET-funded courses for Uruguayans in 1998 taught peacekeeping skills.

According to the Congressional Presentation, IMET has trained 70 percent of Uruguay’s general officers and most high-ranking civilian Defense Ministry employees.¹ Uruguayans have also attended the Pentagon’s Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies.

Uruguay participates in the U.S. Southern Command’s regular multilateral military exercises, including Cabanas, Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarian, Fuerzas Unidas Peacekeeping, and Unitas.

Uruguay receives funding from the South America fund of the State Department’s International Narcotics Control (INC) program, which was to distribute aid valued at $590,000 among non-Andean South American countries in 1999.² According to the program’s congressional presentation, INC will provide equipment and training “to develop the enforcement capabilities of the narcotics police force, and provide the necessary tools to implement recent counternarcotics legislation."³

The United States is to provide material assistance to a new police anti-drug directorate on Uruguay’s northern border, an area the State Department’s February 1999 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) described as “particularly vulnerable to drug trafficking due to its sparse population and lack of radar coverage."⁴

In 1998, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) items valued at $902,000 were delivered to Uruguay, mostly aircraft spare parts, ammunition and supply operations.⁵ Uruguay received export licenses for $2,421,307 in Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) of defense articles in 1998, mostly small weapons and ammunition.⁶

At least two Special Forces Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) programs took place in Uruguay in 1998. The largest deployment, which reportedly trained with 140 Uruguayan Army personnel, included training in light infantry tactics, squad and platoon reconnaissance, land navigation, combat lifesaver training, communication training, small boat training and airborne operations.⁷

Sources:

Sources for "country snapshot":

United States, Department of State, Background Notes: Uruguay, (Washington: Department of State: March 1998) <http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/uruguay_0398_bgn.html>.

United States, Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook 1999, (Washington: Central Intelligence Agency: 1999) <" " lang="ES-CR">http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/uy.html>.

¹ United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Fiscal Year 2000 Budget Congressional Presentation (Washington: March 1999): 930-931 <http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/fy2000_budget/latin_america.html>.

² The distribution of supplemental appropriations could increase this number.

³ Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Fiscal Year 2000 Budget Congressional Presentation 57.

⁴ United States, Department of State, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, 1998 (Washington: February, 1999):  <http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/1998_narc_report/samer98_part4.html>.

⁵ United States, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, FY 1998 , Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of the Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July, 1999).

⁶ United States, Department of State, U.S. Arms Exports: Direct Commercial Sales Authorizations for Fiscal Year 98 (Washington: July 1999): 119.

⁷ United States, Department of Defense, Report on Training of Special Operations Forces, Under 10 U.S.C. Section 2011 (Washington: April 1, 1999).