The New Dark Age

Becomes First Latin American President Successfully Prosecuted for Attacking the Constitution

National Security Archive Posts Declassified Evidence Used in Trial

U.S. Documents Implicated Bordaberry in Repression

http://www.nsarchive.org

Washington, DC, March 30, 2010 – For the first time in Latin America, a judge has sent a former head of state to prison for the crime of an “Attack against the Constitution.” In an unprecedented ruling last month in Montevideo, former Uruguayan President Juan María Bordaberry was sentenced to serve 30 years for undermining Uruguay’s constitution through an auto-coup on June 27, 1973, and for being a participant in nine disappearances and two political assassinations committed by the security forces while he was president between 1972 and 1976.

Declassified U.S. documents provided as evidence in the case by the National Security Archive show Bordaberry as justifying his seizure of extra-constitutional powers on June 27, 1973, by telling the U.S. Ambassador that “Uruguay’s democratic traditions and institutions… were themselves the real threat to democracy.” Another document, written within days after the coup, shows that the police were ordered to launch, in coordination with the military, “intelligence gathering and operations of a ‘special’ nature”–references to death squad actions that ensued.

“These declassified U.S. documents,” said Carlos Osorio, who heads the National Security Archive’s Southern Cone project, “helped the Court open the curtain of secrecy on human rights crimes committed during Bordaberry’s reign of power.”

Follow the link below for more information:

http://www.nsarchive.org

En Espanol

BORDABERRY CONDENADO POR GOLPE EN 1973

PRIMER PRESIDENTE LATINOAMERICANO PROCESADO POR ATENTADO CONTRA LA CONSTITUCION

El National Security Archive Publica Evidencia Desclasificada Usada en el Juicio
Documentos de EEUU Implican a Bordaberry en Represión

Washington, DC, Marzo 30, 2010 – Por primera vez, un juez en América Latina ha enviado a un ex Jefe de Estado a prisión por el crimen de “Atentado contra la Constitución”. En una decisión sin precedentes el mes pasado en Montevideo, el ex Presidente uruguayo Juan María Bordaberry fue sentenciado a servir 30 años por socavar la constitución uruguaya a través de un auto golpe en junio de 1973, y de ser partícipe en nueve desapariciones forzadas y dos homicidios políticos cometidos por las fuerzas de seguridad mientras era presidente entre 1972 y 1976.

Documentos desclasificados de EEUU integrados como evidencia en el caso por el National Security Archive dan cuenta que Bordaberry justificaba haber asumido poderes fuera de la constitución el 27 de junio de 1973 diciendo al Embajador de EEUU que “las tradiciones e instituciones democráticas de Uruguay… eran ellas mismas la amenaza real a la democracia”. Otro documento muestra que, unos días después del golpe, se le ordenó a la policía lanzar en coordinación con el ejército “operaciones de recolección de inteligencia y operaciones de naturaleza ‘especial’”, una referencia a actividades de escuadrones de la muerte.

“Los documentos de EEUU”, dice Carlos Osorio, quien encabeza el Proyecto del Cono Sur del National Security Archive, “ayudaron a la justicia a descorrer el velo de secretividad sobre violaciones de derechos humanos cometidas bajo el régimen de Bordaberry”.

Siga el lazo señalado más abajo para más información:

http://www.nsarchive.org/NSAEBB/NSAEBB309/index2.htm

THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE is an independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The Archive collects and publishes declassified documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A tax-exempt public charity, the Archive receives no U.S. government funding; its budget is supported by publication royalties and donations from foundations and individuals.