Remembering that cold and cloudy morning June 27, 1973Montevideo woke up darkened by two shadows: a physical one, the fog and the clouds that overshadowed the sun, and an ideological one, that of the arrival of the iron hand, which became a hand covered in the blood of innocent lives. The country remembers the almost 200 missing that the Joint Forces amassed on their infamous résumés.
“How many breaths have passed in these 50 years! How much have we denounced, how many generations, so that today we have this Judgment that tells us that we were right, that the Uruguayan state violated all our rights: the right to recognition of legal personality, to life, to personal integrity, to freedom to judicial guarantees and judicial protection, the right of family members to know the truth”, said the Mothers and Family Members of the Disappeared Detainees that June 15, 2023, when the Uruguayan State recognized, by force and international condemnation through , who had participated in the assassination of the April Girls (Laura Raggio, Silvia Reyes -both 19 years old- and Diana Maidanik, 22, were shot by the Joint Forces of the de facto government in 1974).
The current President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, was not present at that act, and he sent his deputy, Beatriz Argimón, as an emissary to read a document. That fact was claimed, she was criticized, she was reproached. However, she remained firm in her decision and did not acknowledge receipt of the judgments against her.
In what seems to be a change of course, Lacalle Pou did participate on June 26 in the solemn session recalling what was the last session of Parliament before the president at that time, the Colorado Juan María Bordaberry, dissolved both chambers and power was handed over to the military on a silver platter. In an act that reinforces the democratic consent of the current Uruguayan society, the three living former presidents were present: Julio María Sanguinetti, Luis Alberto Lacalle, and José Mujica.
Vice President Argimón, who is also president of the General Assembly of the Senate, also appeared; the secretary and deputy secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado and Rodrigo Ferrés, respectively; representatives of the Executive Power; members of the Supreme Court of Justice; legislators from all political parties and members of the diplomatic corps.
Seeing three ex-presidents and even an acting president, all from different parties, sometimes antagonistic in their ideas, is not something usual in many parts of the world. “For us, it is something everyday, something normal, but when one looks at it in perspective it is important (…) These are moments that must be taken care of a lot,” said Lacalle Pou at the end of the democratic day.
Parliament meets for the 50th anniversary of the coup
Starting at 10:30 a.m. this Tuesday, the General Assembly holds a special session in memory of the 50th anniversary of that violent coup, and to shout on behalf of the people: State terrorism, never again.
Legislators from all political forces with representation in Parliament will take the floor to recall, from their respective positions, how the beginning of the dictatorship that lasted from 1973 to 1985 was, what has been described as “the night of 12 years”.
