The senator from the far-right party Town meeting, Guillermo Domenechhas refused to participate in a tribute to the “April Girls”, who were assassinated during the military dictatorship in Uruguay in 1974.
Domenech justified his position by arguing that the victims “were not innocent girls” and branded them as armed guerrillas.
“These were not girls, they were committed to a guerrilla movement, they were armed. They resisted the intervention of the military forcesthey fatally wounded one of the military personnel,” said Domenech, refusing to honor them.
The condemnation of the Uruguayan State from the IACHR
In December 2021, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the Uruguayan State for the lack of investigative diligence in the case of the “April Girls” and the forced disappearance of two men during the military dictatorship.
The judgment in the case established that the Uruguayan State had international responsibility for the violations of the human rights of the next of kin of the victims.
The sentence says that the State must continue with the investigations and punish those responsible for the executions and disappearances. He also ordered that a public act of recognition be held on these situations. The IACHR sentence highlights the importance of recognizing the victims of the military dictatorship and the need to guarantee justice for them.
Relatives of the Disappeared repudiate statements from CA about the Girls of April
In a statement released on social networks in recent hours, the organization Mothers and Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared expressed its categorical rejection, since it understands that the Open Cabildo “praises State terrorism and its heinous crimes.”
“Nothing justifies the cowardly murder of three girls in their home (one of them pregnant), nor is there any place to vindicate the role of the repressive and criminal armed forces,” the agency added.
NEVER AGAIN state terrorism pic.twitter.com/IAvxnCZgZY
— Graduate FemiManya ♀️????️? (@FemiManya) April 28, 2023
The “April Girls” and their legacy
The “April Girls” refers to three women – Diana Maidanik, Silva Reyes and Laura Raggio – who were murdered by military forces during the military dictatorship in Uruguay. These women were political activists fighting for democracy and human rights in the country.. His death was a devastating blow to the progressive movement in Uruguay and they became symbols of the fight for freedom.
The legacy of “Muchachas de Abril” is important for Uruguayan society, since it is seen by the citizens as a sign of courage and sacrifice of those who fought for freedom and human rights in the country during the dark period of the civic-military dictatorship. The Uruguayan State has the responsibility to recognize the importance of these victims and honor their legacy.
