URUGUAY
CONFIDENTIAL
Report by HM Embassy, Montevideo
General Observations
1. Without seeking to whitewash the Uruguayan Government, it is only fair to point out that whilst acts of terrorism have been pretty well eradicated in Uruguay, clandestine terrorist organisations still exist. It would be foolish to suggest that they are just sitting around without planning for future action if the opportunity for such action should arise.
Right No.
(i) The total number of persons held pending
or after trial for political offences has been officially given as "between 1800 and 1900", which tallies fairly well with our own (and the United States Embassy's) estimates of 2000, or one in 138 of a pop- ulation of 2.76 million. (The basis of Amnesty International's figure of 5000 is not known.) There are hints that in a number of cases, sentences may shortly be reduced. There are however still consider- able delays between arrest and trial, and between conviction and sentence, and of the 2000 above-mentioned, perhaps as many as 500 are awaiting trial. Moreover
Rating suggested by Post
"political offences" may range from active terrorism, including murder, down to subversive speech or membership of a proscribed body. The situation is improving. However, a new measure, permitting preventative detention before the commission of an actual offence, but at the same time providing for improvements in judicial procedure, is under contemplation. If passed, this will be a retrograde step.
(ii) Torture undoubtedly still exists in the
initial stage between arrest and first production before court or tribunal (ie at police station or army barracks level), but less frequently and far less intensively than in 1971 - 73, when terrorism was more active, and the security forces had not fully gained the upper hand.
(iii) Slavery is non-existent.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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