Thousands marched on May 20th in Montevideo, Uruguay (as they have for the past 15 years) demanding justice for over 200 political activists disappeared under the military dictatorship of 1973-85. Many were kidnapped from exile in Argentina & believed transferred to prisons where they were tortured & killed or thrown alive from military planes into the Rio de la Plata estuary that separates the two countries (a technique used by the Argentine military to disappear thousands of political prisoners). This is not mere speculation since the Uruguayan disappearances were part of the US (Henry Kissinger) orchestrated program called, Operation Condor. Condor was a terrorist campaign of special operations against political activists in several Latin American countries under right-wing dictatorships (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru). Some estimate that over 60,000 people were murdered under Condor. Uruguayan regimes after the dictatorship have put on a dog & pony show of legislative & judicial maneuverings to pretend they are addressing these crimes but have not investigated the torture, murders, disappearances or brought the assassins to justice. In Uruguay there is in fact a law giving immunity to those involved in Condor & now the current president proposes releasing incarcerated military officials involved in the dictatorship. As we have seen in photo montages from Yemen to Spain to Honduras & in all the countries under siege by Operation Condor, those murdered come back to haunt justice. Mourning fueled by fury is not likely to wane until justice is given its due. (Photo by Matilde Campodonico/AP)
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