MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Uruguay Senate annuls amnesty bill benefiting the military but triggers further controversy
A closely divided Senate has passed legislation to overturn an amnesty for human rights crimes committed by the military and security forces during Uruguay's 1973-85 dictatorship, overruling voters who in two referendums upheld the law in 1989 and 2009. The decision triggered strong controversy in the Uruguayan political system. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesI salute the beginning of the end of this Impunity Law…..... Not with cheeriness but with the serenity that any act of justice requires and gives……
Apr 14th, 2011 - 05:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0Vamos Uruguay!
So, if I have got this right, both the right wing military and the left wing 'freedom fighters' are equally at risk from the removal of general amnesty.
Apr 15th, 2011 - 11:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0And the people voted twice in favour of general amnesty - which presumably allowed the present president to become president.
Does Mujica have to stand down pending his case-by-case assessment of his human right conflict of international and national laws and agreements, or would his prison sentence/execution be deferred until his term of office is over?
Mujica seems to be doing a good job in terms of his management of the economy of the country. It would be a pity if he voted himself out of office and into jail just to punish retrospectively his historical opponents.
Just a small point but, if my memory serves me correctly, the English translation for the present legal position was couched in the Expiration Law - there being no such thing as the Impunity Law (journalistic licence).
Perhaps the country and its government would be less diametrically split on the issue if it had followed the human rights gold standard of Mandela and attempted both Truth and Reconciliation.
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