Tupamaros

Uruguay's Tupamaros, or the Movimento de Liberación Nacional (MLN), was founded in 1962 by Raúl Sendic, Julio Marenales, and Jorge Maner Lluveras. The Tupamaros were of purely Uruguayan origin, and they were completely funded and staffed from within Uruguay, instead of receiving material support from foreign armed groups. The group eventually evolved into part of a legal coalitional political party, and the former Tupamaros member José Mujica was elected president of the country in 2009.

Although the label of “terrorist” is typically applied to groups that target civilians, the Tupamaros used violence sparingly, especially in the beginning. In fact, the Tupamaros effectively used propaganda to increase public support and undermine a regime that, in their view, supported the interests of a dominant oligarchy as opposed to the national interest. Notable actions in the late 1960s and early 1970s included the release of regular communiqués, posters and leaflets, to the media and the public, and the use of temporary takeovers of businesses and radio stations to deliver speeches.

The Tupamaros supported their activities through theft, robberies, and kidnapping people for ransom. They also kidnapped officials, diplomats, and prominent businessmen and landowners for trial in their own courts. Dan Mitrione, an American who was working as an advisor to the Uruguayan police, was kidnapped and later killed because he was believed to have introduced torture techniques to the police. Most kidnapping victims were held for months, tried, and released. Often, taped recordings of the mock trials were released to the press, in an attempt to discredit the government and build broad support for the Tupamaros.

The group's efforts at attracting broader public sympathy were successful, particularly their attempts at portraying the state as corrupt and ineffective. Early on, for example, the Tupamaros were successful at evading arrest. Often, even if suspected Tupamaros were arrested, many were released without being charged. Of those jailed, over 180 were freed through spectacular jail and prison breaks. Some politicians even agreed with the Tupamaros’ policy proposals, albeit not their tactics.

By April 1972 the Tupamaros had begun a new offensive against the police and the armed forces, including a group of anti-Tupamaro commandos, known as Caza Tupamaros. In the process, they released well-documented charges of the use of torture and other extrajudicial human rights abuses by the Uruguayan government. The Tupamaros issued [Page 590]death threats against members of Caza Tupamaros, and four were killed within hours. By May the conflict had devolved into a flurry of bombings and violence. In response, the military assumed control of the counterinsurgency and effectively quelled the Tupamaro activity by the fall of 1972. However, the National Assembly was dissolved in 1973 and the country was ruled by the military until a transition to democracy began in 1984.

After the restoration of democracy, traditional candidates succeeded in presidential elections until the 2004 election Tabaré Vázquez of the left-wing Frente Amplio (Broad Front) coalition. The Frente Amplio alliance includes former Tupamaros such as Nora Castro, who became the leader the Chamber of Deputies, and José Mujica, who became leader of the Senate. Mujica, who was imprisoned during the military regime, assumed the office of the presidency in March 2010.

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