MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former Uruguayan military officer convicted in 1974 case

Other suspects died before conviction, but Rebollo was held to account for the Girls of April raid

Former Uruguayan military officer Juan Rebollo has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role as co-perpetrator in the aggravated murders of Diana Maidanic (22), Laura Raggio (19), and Silvia Reyes (19), a case historically known as “The Girls of April.” The ruling, handed down by Judge Isaura Tórtora of the 23rd Criminal Court, aligns with the maximum penalty requested by the prosecutor specializing in crimes against humanity, Ricardo Perciballe.

The incident occurred on April 21, 1974, during a joint military and police operation in Montevideo's Brazo Oriental neighborhood. The operation's objective was to capture Washington Barrios, a militant of the National Liberation Movement (Tupamaros) and husband of Silvia Reyes, who was pregnant at the time. Barrios was not present, but the three women, who were also MLN-T members involved in political activities, were in the apartment.

Investigations and forensic reports contradicted the official version that the women opened fire first. Evidence suggests the women were shot without prior armed confrontation, with forensic analysis indicating multiple wounds from automatic or semi-automatic weapons, and the women's bodies were found overlapping and trapped. The forensic report revealed that “the three deceased suffered multiple wounds from high-energy, destructive firearms.”

The ruling also noted inconsistencies in the official account of military casualties during the operation. Regarding the deaths of Captain Julio Cesar Gutiérrez, 32, and police officer Dorval Márquez, 52, the ruling mentions that the position of the soldiers who fired “is not consistent with the version” that the shots were fired to repel an attack against Gutiérrez, who was the first to enter the premises. The Medical Board determined that the wounds on Gutiérrez's body “are not consistent with the type of weapon that the victims Reyes, Raggio, and Maidanik would have hypothetically used.”

The case gained renewed attention after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled against the Uruguayan state in December 2021 for its lack of investigative diligence, demanding a thorough investigation and punishment for those responsible. While other individuals implicated in the case, such as José Gavazzo and Eduardo Klastornick, died before conviction, Rebollo's sentencing marks a significant development in the pursuit of justice for human rights violations during Uruguay's dictatorship.