The Executive Power accepted the request of the pro-government bench in the Senate – promoted by Cabildo Abierto – and sent a bill to Parliament in which “recognize the right” that the victims of the actions of the guerrilla groups before and during the dictatorship receive moral, social and economic reparation.
The initiative comes after, earlier this month, the upper house raised a “aspiration minute” promoted by those led by Guido Manini Rios with the support of whites and colorados in which the government – which is the only one that can present a project that implies an increase in spending – was asked to draft a project in this regard.
The text mentions how Potential beneficiaries include civilians, police officers and soldiers, as well as their families, who, by action or omission of the State, have suffered “harm to their person or property” due to illegal acts committed between January 1, 1962 and December 31, 1976 , to receive compensation for acts referring to violations of their right to life, psychophysical integrity or their freedom for political or ideological reasons, and that can irrefutably prove the damage and its causal link with the aforementioned groups.
“It is justice for these compatriots and their families,” indicates the articles of the project, to which he agreed The Observer and which bears the signature of President Luis Lacalle Pou and all his ministers. For this purpose, a Special Commission will be created that will be in charge of the investigation, substantiation and resolution on the requests for protection of the benefit, as well as its granting. The appointment of its members will be the responsibility of the Executive Branch. It will be through future regulations, which must also determine the amount of economic reparations and which, as defined, will come from General Revenue.
In his own project – presented at the end of 2020 and which was never discussed – Cabildo Abierto set certain parameters to quantify pensions. There, the type of affectation was considered (from the “impairment of a right” to death, going through minor, disabling or permanent injuries). According to this scale, eventual beneficiaries could opt for a single repair in indexed units of between $10,000 to $2.8 million, or receive a monthly pension of between $22,000 and $56,000. It would cover about 80 cases.
Although they did not carry out any type of identification, the lobbyists clearly targeted the victims of left-wing armed groups, such as the Movimiento de Liberación Nacional – Tupamaros or the Popular Revolutionary Organization 33 Orientales
The future law will also oblige the State to promote material or symbolic actions of moral reparation in order to “restore the morale of the victims” for the illegitimate use of power exercised by members of armed groups, as well as “honor their memory.”
