Military reserve is a choice, lawmakers say
Pro-government deputy Edis Ríos, the head of the National
Assembly Defense and Security Committee, clarified that joining
the reserve is not compulsory, but reasserted that the civil
society should be prepared for any future threat.
"Article 326 of the Constitution underscores that the nation's
security is based on shared responsibility by the state and
civil society. Also, shared responsibility covers the economic,
social, political, cultural, geographical, environmental and
military areas," Ríos explained in an effort to justify
the call for reservists under the National Armed Forces Organic
Law (Lofan).
Pro-government deputy Saúl Ortega, the president of the
National Assembly Foreign Policy Committee stated that the amendment
to Lofan "is automatically in line with fight against poverty
and misery," as the initiative may represent "a centerpiece
in domestic production and food self-sufficiency."
However, according to opposition deputy (MAS) Pedro Castillo,
who is also a member of the committee headed by Ríos, "the
government move tries to enlarge the army and create a new ad-hoc
force composed of trained reservists."
Castillo fears a plan to turn "a regular-size, poorly trained
army into a fearsome, highly trained military force with modern
and efficient equipment and controlled by the revolution leader."
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