From Forensics to Frontline Police: Uruguay's $200 Million Security Reform Drive

The financing will help strengthen law enforcement institutions, improve criminal investigations and enhance coordination between police authorities and prosecutors responsible for handling serious crimes.

Uruguay is preparing to strengthen its fight against organized crime and improve public safety after the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $200 million loan to support the country's National Public Security Plan 2025–2035. The financing will help strengthen law enforcement institutions, improve criminal investigations and enhance coordination between police authorities and prosecutors responsible for handling serious crimes. The initiative is expected to support a more effective public security system, with particular attention given to communities facing high levels of crime and violence.

The program will provide support to Uruguay's Ministry of the Interior, National Police and Attorney General's Office, helping these institutions improve strategic planning and coordinate their responses to public security challenges. Authorities will focus on strengthening police operations in areas where criminal activity is concentrated, improving the identification of homicide perpetrators and increasing the effectiveness of criminal investigations. Investments in professional training, intelligence gathering and forensic capabilities are expected to improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate serious offenses and respond to organized criminal networks.

Approximately 175,000 people living in targeted areas are expected to benefit from improved public security measures under the national plan. The strategy was developed through a broad consultation process involving all five political parties represented in Uruguay's Parliament and more than 80 government bodies, academic institutions, civil society organizations and international development institutions. Their participation helped establish a medium-term framework that prioritizes communities experiencing high levels of violence and populations most affected by criminal activity.

Stronger Police Operations in High-Crime Communities

A major part of Uruguay's security program focuses on improving police effectiveness in neighborhoods and communities where criminal activities place considerable pressure on residents and public institutions. The initiative will promote intelligence-led policing, allowing law enforcement agencies to use information and crime analysis to guide operational decisions and identify areas requiring greater attention. Better coordination and strategic planning are expected to help police authorities allocate resources more effectively and strengthen their response to organized crime and violent offenses.

Police officers will receive additional training designed to improve professional capabilities and strengthen their ability to respond to complex security challenges. The program will encourage more coordinated operations across public security institutions, helping officers and investigators work with clearer priorities and better information. These improvements are expected to support more effective policing in areas with concentrated criminal activity and contribute to safer living conditions for communities affected by violence.

Improved Criminal Investigations and Prosecutorial Capacity

Uruguay's public security reforms will strengthen forensic capabilities and investigative procedures to help authorities identify homicide perpetrators and improve the handling of serious criminal cases. Greater use of forensic evidence, specialized investigative techniques and intelligence information is expected to help investigators build stronger cases and improve cooperation between police agencies and prosecutors. The initiative will address institutional challenges that can affect investigations into organized criminal activities, particularly cases requiring coordination among multiple law enforcement and justice institutions.

Specialized training for prosecutors will be another important part of the program, helping strengthen the investigation and prosecution of complex organized crime cases. Closer cooperation between the National Police and the Attorney General's Office is expected to improve information sharing, investigative coordination and the effectiveness of criminal justice responses. These measures are intended to strengthen the country's capacity to investigate serious crimes and support a more coordinated approach to public security and justice.

$200 Million Financing to Support Long-Term Public Security Reforms

The IDB considers improved public security an important part of Uruguay's sustainable development, recognizing that crime and violence can affect people's well-being and the country's broader economic and social progress. Miguel Porrúa, the IDB Group Country Representative in Uruguay, emphasized that the financing will help strengthen institutional capacity and produce concrete, measurable results for citizens. He identified the operation as one of the priorities under the IDB's 2026–2030 Country Strategy, which was developed jointly with the Uruguayan government.

The $200 million policy-based loan will be financed through the IDB's Ordinary Capital resources, providing financial support for reforms under Uruguay's national public security framework. The loan carries a 20-year amortization period, a five-and-a-half-year grace period and a one-year disbursement period, giving the government a defined financing structure for implementing its policy commitments. The operation complements the Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) known as "More Security," which received approval in 2025, reinforcing the IDB's support for Uruguay's efforts to improve policing, criminal investigations and public security institutions.