New army chief warns against further cuts

The army has already trimmed its fat, and any new cost savings will cut into the muscle. This was the gist of the message from the new army chief of staff, General Jaime Domínguez Buj, on the day he took up his post.

Speaking in front of Defense Minister Pedro Morenés, Domínguez Buj warned on Tuesday that "the Army has already implemented, over these last years, a tough optimization and efficiency process; any new sacrifice that is asked of us will very likely imply losing capabilities."

The general noted that in the last six years the army has eliminated 44 units and 22,000 positions, as well as grounding 50 percent of combat vehicles.

But the army will accept any new sacrifices that are necessary, said Domínguez Buj, although it will inform the government of "the consequences."