Uruguay’s Benevolent Terrorists

John Tuttle

Movember 9, 2012

Pl Sci 150

Blog 8

Uruguay’s Benevolent Terrorists

Citizens of Uruguay have a phrase used to inspire the people. Unlike the shouts of “God Bless America” or “U-S-A!” that we’re familiar with, Uruguay’s watchword is often whispered in a clandestine manner, as if its very mention would call down death from an unseen assailant. “Las palabras nos dividan, la accion nos une” or “Words divide us; action unites us,” was the battle cry of Los Tupamaros, a leftist political action group active during the 1960s and early 70s. Early on in my two years as a missionary in Uruguay, I learned about this group of activists. Heralded in the rural pueblos as heroes, hated in the capitol as terrorists, this odd assortment of Marxists, socialists, laborers, and anarchists fought against what they saw as government indifference toward the plight of the poor all across the country. Using classic terrorist and guerilla strategies of kidnapping, assassination, theft, and intimidation[1] of the city’s elite, Los Tupamaros waged war on the government for nearly a decade.

Like many South American countries in during the 60s and 70s, Uruguay was a nation torn by political intrigue. Economic difficulties and the resulting violence in neighboring Argentina and Brazil had spilled over the border and wreaked havoc on the poor communities surrounding Montevideo. Raul Sendic, a prominent member of the socialist party, organized various labor unions into the Peasant Support Movement in 1963[2] order to render aide to poverty stricken areas of the country. As unrest continued throughout the country, President Jorge Pacheco repealed the constitutional rights of the citizens that granted the police and military license to torture and execute suspected criminals without due process.[3] Sendic organized his followers into el Movimento de Liberacion Nacional (MLN)[4] or National Liberation Movement. Feeling that the poor and labor classes were unfairly targeted, Sendic led his group in a series of philanthropic operations. First looting several gun stores, Los Tupamaros armed themselves and robbed several banks in the heart of the city. The money was distributed throughout the impoverished regions of Montevideo, but lives had been taken during the operation. Branded as terrorists, Los Tupamaros were hunted by military and law enforcement agencies. As political pressure rose, the socialist band resorted to more drastic measures, assassinating particularly cruel members of the police, including an American FBI agent who had allegedly been instructing the military effective ways to torture prisoners. Los Tupamaros had a prison of their own, kidnapping several high-class bankers and politicians. In La Carcel del Pueblo or People’s Prison, the hostages were interrogated before being released several days later, along with the findings from the interrogation. President Pacheco forbid news agencies from reporting on MLN activities, and even forbade them to mention the terrorist group. Los Tupamaros resorted to armed propaganda, often seizing public meeting halls and delivering speeches to literally captive audiences.[5] Humiliated by the apparent lack of control in his own capitol, the President dispatched military police deathsquads to round up all suspected terrorists. Sendic and many of his followers were arrested. By 1972, Los Tuparmos has effectively been defeated. Despite the reestablished security, Juan Bordaberry, the President following Pacheco, ceded government control to the military in a bloodless coup in 1973.[6] The remaining Tupamaros joined other resistance groups and continued to wage guerilla war on the Army, but failed to make any important victories.

Democracy was restored after twelve years of military rule. During that time, Sendic and his followers fought for survival against inhumane conditions. After their release in the 80s, the people of Uruguay did not forget what Los Tupamaros had accomplished in helping the poor. Many former guerillas went into politics, forming El Frente Amplio (FA) or The Broad Front, a conglomeration of the left-of-center parties in Uruguay. Today, the FA is the most influential party in Uruguay. The current President, Jose Mujica, was a former lieutenant of Sendic. Despite failing to achieve any of their long-term goals, Los Tupamaros managed to instill in the Uruguayans a sense of the necessity of justice in the face of oppression. FA politicians work to ensure that social justice, law, and order, continue to thrive in Uruguay.

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[1] David J. Samules, Comparative Politics, 2013 Pearson Education, pp. 276

[2]

[3] Benjamín Nahum, El Fin Del Uruguay Liberal (Ediciones de la Banda Oriental, 1991) Volume 8

[4] The Tupamaros of Uruguay, http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/uruguay/tupamaros-uruguay.htm, accessed November 9, 2012

[5] The Tupamaros of Uruguay, http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/uruguay/tupamaros-uruguay.htm, accessed November 9, 2012

[6] Los Tupamaros, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupamaros#cite_ref-3, 4 November, 2012