Foreign minister says Uruguay’s Guantánamo detainee sanctuary offer was improvised

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) – Uruguay’s foreign minister says then President Jose Mujica acted without foresight when he welcomed six freed Guantánamo detainees and 42 Syrians to the South American country.

The men were released from the U.S. military prison in December after nearly 13 years in detention for alleged ties to al-Qaida. Mujica invited them to resettle before he left office.

Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa told local radio Sarandi on Wednesday the decision was “not properly foreseen.”

The men have not thrived in Uruguay, and four of them began a protest April 23 in front of the U.S. Embassy in Montevideo. They’re unhappy about their circumstances and the amount of aid Uruguay’s government has extended.

The foreign minister said Mujica also lacked foresight when he welcomed 42 Syrian refugees last October.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Foreign minister says Uruguay’s Guantánamo detainee sanctuary offer was improvised."