URUGUAY/FILE: Human rights court makes ruling after intense campaign by citizen whose mother was kidnapped in 1976

Record ID: 351534

  • Title: URUGUAY/FILE: Human rights court makes ruling after intense campaign by citizen whose mother was kidnapped in 1976
  • Date: 6th March 2012
  • Summary: MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY (MARCH 05, 2012) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MACARENA GELMAN, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER WHOSE MOTHER WAS KIDNAPPED DURING MILITARY DICTATORSHIP, SAYING: "In respect to the search and the investigation, I understand them as different things. I think that excavation comes as a result of an investigation and unfortunately, up until now, the so-called in
  • Embargoed: 21st March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Uruguay, Uruguay
  • Country: Uruguay
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2G2R3RQ52U995YJUNCYITCFI5
  • Story Text: The Uruguayan state will publicly admit its role in violating human rights during the 1973-1985 dictatorship, the government announced on Monday (March 05), complying with a ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
    The act will take place on March 21 and will be led by the nation's president, Jose Mujica.
    The ruling comes largely as a result of an unrelenting campaign by Uruguayan citizen Macarena Gelman, whose mother was kidnapped in Buenos Aires in 1976 and flown to Montevideo.
    "The act will take place on March 21, as established by the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights. It is an acknowledgement of international responsibility. It is not an act of apology as the press often says," said Gelman.
    Gelman, who is the granddaughter of Argentine poet Juan Gelman, wanted to stress that this was not an apology.
    "I think that an apology is voluntary, individual and it can't be defined by certain conditions. Therefore it should be treated, as the court says, as an act that recognises international responsibility," said Gelman.
    The ruling has been made by the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights.
    Gelman will also receive US$513m in compensation.
    "The sentence of the Inter-American Court establishes comprehensive repair work and consists of various points. It really is unfortunate that the only thing of interest is the financial compensation," said Gelman.
    Gelman has also been campaigning to find her mother's remains, which are believed to be in a military barracks, 22km (14 miles) from Montevideo.
    "In respect to the search and the investigation, I understand them as different things. I think that excavation comes as a result of an investigation and unfortunately, up until now, the so-called investigation has hardly advanced at all, especially in respect to my case," said Gelman.
    Gelman was one of the 'stolen babies' of the dictatorship. Her mother was pregnant when she was kidnapped in Buenos Aires and she gave birth in captivity. Gelman was then brought up by a Uruguayan family and only found out her identity in 2000.
    It is estimated that at least 60,000 people died as a result of the collaboration between right-wing dictatorships in the Southern Cone from 1975, known as Operation Condor. The key members were Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil.
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