Prosecutor’s Office requests a statement from Lucía Topolansky for controversial statements
In a recent development in the Uruguayan political landscape, the prosecutor specializing in Crimes Against Humanity, Ricardo Perciballe, has requested that former vice president Lucía Topolansky appear before justice. This requirement arises from controversial statements made by Topolansky regarding the alleged falsehood of statements related to crimes committed during the military dictatorship in Uruguay. The statements have sparked intense debate and widespread rejection in various sectors of the left.
The Topolansky’s controversial expressions were recorded in the book «The indomitable«, by journalist Pablo Cohen. In the text, Topolansky, who is a historical figure of the National Liberation Movement – Tupamaroscriticizes militants from other currents of the left, suggesting that they have been dishonest in their testimonies about crimes of the dictatorship. In his words, “there are people who lie in their statements” and added that there are those who have been pressured to modify their stories in exchange for imprisoning others. «“I lied, I said this and that, and we put so-and-so in prison.”
Support for statements
The controversy became more important when José “Pepe” Mujicaformer president and husband of Topolansky, supported his wife’s claims. In a radio interview, Mujica commented “I’m not going to say that it was general, but there were people who came out with a lot of resentment and found that that was just what happened.«. This support from such a prominent figure of the Frente Amplio has intensified criticism of both, after hinting at individuals who, motivated by resentment, they may have acted dishonestly in the context of complaints about human rights violations.
The Attorney General’s Officefollowing the disturbing statements, issued a statement highlighting the work carried out since its creation in 2018. Since then, 38 prosecutions and 28 convictions related to crimes of the dictatorshiphighlighting that, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, the victims have maintained fidelity to the truth and There is no conspiracy to discredit innocent people.
Additionally, lawyer Emilio Mikolic, defender of former members of the Armed Forces, expressed that the defense of these accused will seek to reopen previously closed cases and challenges to crimes in progress based on the controversial claims of the Mujica-Topolansky couple.
Reaction of organizations and the Broad Front
The reactions to the statements of Topolansky and Mujica They were almost immediate. Organizations of victims of repression showed forceful in their rejectionto the just like many sectors within the Frente Amplio, the political party to which these leaders belong. The National Political Table of the Frente Amplio met on Wednesday to address the situationexpressing a deep general feeling of “indignation, pain and rage” in the face of statements that they consider irresponsible.
This meeting took place in a context of celebrations for the return of the Frente Amplio to powerwhich made the need to comment on the negative statements of their own references even more shocking. The elected president, Yamandú Orsi also distanced himself from the positions of Mujica and Topolansky. In comments during an official event, he emphasized the importance of memory and truthreaffirming that Uruguay has resolved the past of the dictatorship and that “human rights were violated here”.
The complexity of the national debate
Orsi added that the conflict covers various aspects. He stressed that, although progress has been made in the recovery of historical memory, It is crucial to accept and recognize the truth regarding the crimes perpetrated during the dictatorship. “There are many people who are missing here, human rights have been violated here in a cruel and unacceptable way.”, he stated in reference to the brutality of the military regime.
The president-elect concluded his speech by reaffirming his confidence in the judicial system: “I am not the one to analyze or doubt what the judges determine”. Addressing Mujica and Topolansky, he added that “If someone doubts or has indications that they did not proceed correctly, they take responsibility for what they say and will have their reasons.”. This position shows a clear intention to maintain the integrity of the judicial process in a context as delicate as that of human rights violations in the country.
