Uruguay: 24th Silent March

Declaration to the public.

Another year and another Silent March, which had its first expression in 1995, choosing May 20, precisely because it is the anniversary of the murders of Hector Gutierrez Ruiz and Zelmar Michellini.

Since that August 3rd  in 1984 and the famous Pact of the Naval Club, passing through the law 15848, better known as the expiration law, impunity still reigns with several governments that passed by without touching the issue of human rights.

Recently, several events stirred public opinion and raised the debate about the Armed Forces and their role in the state.

After an article in a very important newspaper, which had access to information about a “court of honor” and the “confessions” of torturer “Nino Gavazzo”, the comings and goings of the executive power that ended with the dismissal of minister of Defense Jorge Menendez, several contradictions in the current administration that show that the truth is still hidden, a decision of the courts to retire the electronic anklet from Gavazzo due to health problems, an interview given by him to another newspaper, the decision of the Executive Power to dismiss several generals that were involved in that “court of honor” and had taken part in the crimes against humanity committed during the dictatorship, are part of the latest events, added to the fact that the Senate denied this dismissal because the necessary majority was not reached.

So we reach the 24th Silent March with the slogan “Tell us where they are” and “against the impunity of yesterday and today.”

The legislators are as responsible for raising their hands to stop the dismissal of the generals, as are the different governments from 1985 to the present. In one way or another, they have maintained the truth in the dark, they have been accomplices, directly perpetuating impunity. In the last ten years, more than seven agencies have been created to clarify the crimes committed during the civic-military dictatorship, yet we still do not know where they are, what happened to them, who were responsible, with 192 missing people to date and of whom nothing is known.

Enough impunity!

Trial and punishment to those responsible!

Dictatorship, never again!

Rumbo Socialista