IDENTIFICATION, POLITICAL GOALS, AND ANTICIPATED INITIATIVES ON LEFTIST HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING IN URUGUAY - 1984/04/16
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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
00810497
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RIPPUB
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U
Document Page Count:
4
Document Creation Date:
April 3, 2019
Document Release Date:
April 12, 2019
Sequence Number:
Case Number:
Publication Date:
April 16, 1984
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IDENTIFICATION, POLITICAL[15515962].pdf | 285 KB |
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
CONTROLS
161941Z CIA 338363
TEXT
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED
REPORT CLASS a_E_C-R-R-t--WNINTEL
DIST: 16 APRIL 1985
COUNTRY: URUGUAY
SUBJECT: IDENTIFICATION, POLITICAL GOALS, AND ANTICIPATED
INITIATIVES OF LEFTIST HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS
OPERATING IN URUGUAY
WNINTEL
INTELLIGENCE.
SUMMARY: THE PRINCIPAL LEFTIST ORIENTED HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS
CURRENTLY OPERATING IN URUGUAY ARE THE SERVICE FOR PEACE AND
JUSTICE, THE GROUP OF FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE DISAPPEARED, THE GROUP
OF MOTHERS OF THE PROCESS FOR MILITARY JUSTICE, THE SECRETARIAT
OF LAWYERS FOR AMNESTY IN URUGUAY, AND THE COMMISSION FOR HUMAN
RIGHTS OF THE BROAD FRONT. THESE GROUPS ARE CURRENTLY DEVOTED
TO EXPOSING HUMAN RIGHTS CRIMES COMMITTED DURING THE PERIOD OF
MILITARY RULE AND BRINGING THOSE GUILTY TO JUSTICE. MEMBERS
OF THESE GROUPS ARE BASICALLY FROM THE MOST RADICAL URUGUAYAN
POLITICAL GROUPINGS, INCLUDING THE PARTY FOR THE VICTORY OF
THE PEOPLE, THE URUGUAYAN COMMUNIST PARTY, AND FORMER TUPA-
MAROS. URUGUAYAN LEFTIST HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A
CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR ARGENTINE COUNTERPARTS.
THE STRATEGY FOR THE UPCOMING PERIOD WILL BE TO KEEP THE
ISSUE OF MILITARY HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES ALIVE IN ALL POSSIBLE
ARENAS AND ATTEMPT TO CHIP AWAY AT THE POWER OF THE URUGUAYAN
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MILITARY AND SECURITY ORGANS.
TEXT: 1. SHORTLY AFTER ASSUMING OFFICE AS URUGUAYAN MINISTER
OF THE INTERIOR, CARLOS ((MANINI)) RIOS REQUESTED THAT THE
MONTEVIDEO POLICE
PREPARE A REPORT
ON
URUGUAYAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
2. THE MOST ACTIVE LEFTIST HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE:
---THE SERVICE FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE (SERPAJ) - FORMED BY RADICAL
RELIGIOUS ELEMENTS AND BY MANY FORMER MEMBERS OF THE TUPAMARO
NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENT;
---THE GROUP OF FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE DISAPPEARED - FORMED BY TUPAMAROS,
AND MEMBERS OF THE PARTY FOR THE VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE (PVP), AND THE
URUGUAYAN COMMUNIST PARTY (PCU). THE PREDECESSOR ORGANIZATION OUTSIDE
OF URUGUAY WAS CALLED THE ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS OF URUGUAYAN
DISAPPEARED INDIVIDUALS (AFUDE) WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE PVP AND
LED BY MARIA ELENA ((QUINTEROS));
---THE GROUP OF MOTHERS OF THE PROCESS FOR MILITARY JUSTICE -
ALSO FORMED BY TUPAMAROS, PVP AND PCU MEMBERS. WORKS CLOSELY WITH
THE GROUP OF FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE DISAPPEARED AND IS MORE AN ORGAN-
IATION FOR WOMEN;
---THE SECRETARIAT OF LAWYERS FOR AMNESTY IN URUGUAY (SIJAU) -
THIS ORGANIZATION WAS FORMED OUTSIDE URUGUAY BY THE PVP. IT
CENTERED ITS ACTIVITIES IN WORKING WITH FOREIGN JURISTS, ESPECIALLY
FRENCH. THE CURRENT OPERATIONS CENTER FOR SIJAU IS IN BUENOS AIRES,
WHERE IT ALSO COORDINATES INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES CONCERNING
HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARGENTINA;
---THE COMMISSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE BROAD FRONT - THIS
ORGANIZATION ADVISES THE FRONT ON JURIDICAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED
WITH THOSE SUBJECTED TO MILITARY JUSTICE AND IS ALSO CONCERNED
WITH COMPILING DATA ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.
3. THE ABOVE ORGANIZATIONS CAN COUNT ON THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
OF LEFTIST MILITANTS. EACH ORGANIZATION CONTAINS A WELL
DOCUMENTED RESEARCH SECTION DEVOTED TO COMPILING DATA ON
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES THAT OCCURRED DURING THE ANTI-SUBVERSIVE
STRUGGLE WHICH LASTED FROM CIRCA 1969 TO 1980. EACH ORGANIZATION
HAS FIVE BASIC GOALS IN COMMON:
---COLLECT INFORMATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES DURING THE PERIOD
1969 TO 1980;
---DOCUMENT THE ABUSES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF COURT SPECIALISTS;
---LEAD MOVEMENTS TO MAKE DENUNCIATIONS IN THE PRESS, TELEVISION
AND RADIO, IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT AND IN THE COURT SYSTEM;
---PUBLISH BULLETINS AND OTHER MATERIALS CONCERNING THEIR
ACTIVITIES;
---CONDU ICT ""EDUCATION SEMINARS" ON HUMAN RIGHTS THAT EVOKE
A POLITICAL CHARACTER.
4. ALTHOUGH HUMAN RIGHTS IS A THEME THAT CUTS ACROSS ALL
POLITICAL GROUPS IN URUGUAY, THE ABOVE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS
ARE GENERALLY COMPOSED OF THE MOST RADICAL MEMBERS OF URUGUAYAN
SOCIETY WITH A PREDOMINANCE OF PVP MEMBERS. ALL SECTORS OF THE
BROAD FRONT (FAU) PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT TO THE ABOVE GROUPS.
CERTAIN SECTORS OF THE NATIONAL (BLANCO ) PARTY ARE ALSO PROMINENT
IN RADICAL ELEMENTS OF THE ABOVE ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY DEPUTY
OSCAR ((LOPEZ)) BALESTRA, WHO IN THE PAST WAS ASSOCIATED WITH CALLS
FOR ARMED REVOLUTION IN URUGUAY. LOPEZ AND OTHERS IN THE BLANCO
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PARTY OF SIMILAR BELIEFS CALL THEMSELVES "FEDAYEEN", REFERRING TO
RADICAL MOSLEM ELEMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THIS BLANCO SECTOR
IS CLOSELY ALLIED WITH THE INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC LEFT FACTION
OF THE FAU AND IS MORE RADICAL THAN THE PCU IN DENUNCIATIONS OF
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.
5. THE ABOVE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ALL HAVE A CLOSE WORKING
RELATIONSHIP WITH SIMILAR GROUPS IN ARGENTINA SUCH AS THE LEGAL
AND SOCIAL CENTER (CELS), THE PERMANENT ASSOCIATION FOR HUMAN
RIGHTS, THE ARGENTINE CHAPTER OF SERPAJ, ETC. THIS COORDINATION
AND COOPERATION WITH ARGENTINE GROUPS HAS RESULTED IN GREATER
RADICALIZATION AND AGGRESSION BY THE URUGUAYAN ORGANIZATIONS.
ARGENTINE CELS MEMBER DR. JORGE ((BANOS)) IS A DECLARED SUPPORTER
OF TUPAMARO LEADER RAUL ((SENDIC)). BANOS PLAYS AN IMPORTANT
ROLE IN FORMING STRATEGY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNS IN URUGUAY
AND WAS RECENTLY IN URUGUAY VISITING ALL THE ABOVE URUGUAYAN HUMAN
RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS.
6. THE BASIC STRATEGY OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS IS
THE FOLLOWING:
---IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF A NEW CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT, TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE MILITARY FROM POWER TO
PRESSURE THE NEW GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT "THE GUILTY WILL BE
PUNISHED";
---MAKE SPECIAL USE OF THE URUGUAYAN PARLIAMENT TO AGITATE FOR
JUSTICE AGAINST VIOLATORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES;
---IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES, ATTEMPT TO DENOUNCE PUBLICLY AN
INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP RATHER THAN INITIATE A COURT PROCEEDING.
IN THIS MANNER, THE MILITARY AND SECURITY FORCES WILL LOSE PRESTIGE
IN THE PUBLIC'S EYE AND THERE WILL BE LESS CHANCE THAT THESE
INDIVIDUALS CAN REGROUP TO ATTACK THE LEFT AT A LATER DATE;
---INCREASE PUBLIC DENUNCIATIONS AFTER THE RELEASE OF ALL
POLITICAL PRISONERS. ( COMMENT: THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL
PRISONERS TOOK PLACE SHORTLY AFTER THIS DII REPORT WAS WRITTEN.)
7. THE REPORT CONCLUDES WITH A SERIES OF INITIATIVES WHICH
THE LEFTIST HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE
FIRST SIX MONTHS OF A NEW CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT. THESE INITIATIVES
INCLUDE:
---AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID A DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH THE ARMED
FORCES;
---A REPEATED CALL TO DISMANTLE WHAT IS TERMED THE "REPRESSIVE
INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY" ENTITIES IN URUGUAY WITH THE GOAL
OF WEAKENING THESE ORGANS;
---AN ATTEMPT TO UNIFY VARIOUS LEFTIST GROUPS SO THE URUGUAYAN
LEFT CAN SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE IN ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST WHAT IT
TERMS "REACTIONARY" SECURITY AND MILITARY OFFICIALS;
---A CAMPAIGN TO CONVINCE THE URUGUAYAN PUBLIC THAT NO RECONCILIA-
TION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THAT WOULD INCLUDE ANY AMNESTY FOR
MILITARY AND SECURITY OFFICIALS ACCUSED OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.
WARNING: REPORT CLASS J_I,L-7--WARNING NOTICE-INTELLIGENCE
SOURCES OR METHODS INVOLVED
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