Editing History of Uruguay (section)

==Military dictatorship, 1973–1985==
{{Main|Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay}}
[[File:Policía_investigando_la_red_cloacal_de_Montevideo.jpg|thumb|Police inspection the sewers in Montevideo, which were used by MLN-T members to move around the city.]]
Amid the ongoing armed struggle and political violence of the MLN-T, on April 15, 1972, the General Assembly declared a 'state of internal war,' marking the beginning of the [[Uruguayan intrastate war]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-13 |title=50 años del estado de guerra interno: duras reacciones en el Frente Amplio {{!}} La Mañana |url=https://www.xn--lamaana-7za.uy/politica/50-anos-del-estado-de-guerra-interno-duras-reacciones-en-el-frente-amplio/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |language=es}}</ref> This led to a widespread crackdown by the armed forces against guerrilla groups.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uruguay 1978 - Capitulo I |url=https://www.cidh.org/countryrep/Uruguay78sp/cap.1.htm |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=www.cidh.org}}</ref> At the same time, the economic situation deteriorated due to high inflation, which sparked a resurgence of labor mobilization. The MLN-T continued its attacks on military and police personnel, killing four young soldiers on guard duty in May.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ejército homenajeó a los caídos en la “masacre de mayo” de 1972 y llamó a la “reconciliación” |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/ejercito-homenajeo-a-los-caidos-en-la-masacre-de-mayo-de-1972-y-llamo-a-la-reconciliacion--202251814330 |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=El Observador |language=es-UY}}</ref>

After a series of military operations, a large number of MLN-T members were arrested. In early September, the last remaining Tupamaro leader at large, [[Raúl Sendic|Raúl Sendic Atonaccio]], was captured.<ref>{{Cite web |title=La historia necesaria: las negociaciones en el Batallón Florida y la rendición del MLN |url=https://www.montevideo.com.uy/Columnistas/La-historia-necesaria-las-negociaciones-en-el-Batallon-Florida-y-la-rendicion-del-MLN-uc361184 |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=Montevideo Portal |language=es}}</ref> However, the influence of the top military commanders in national politics continued to grow. On February 9, 1973, the commanders of the Army and the Air Force announced that they refused to follow the orders of the newly appointed Minister of Defense, Antonio Francese.<ref>{{Cite web |title=El decisivo (y muchas veces ignorado) golpe de febrero del 73 |url=https://mediospublicos.uy/el-decisivo-y-muchas-veces-ignorado-golpe-de-febrero-del-73/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=Portal Medios Públicos |language=es-UY}}</ref>

[[File:Museo de la Memoria - 2022 03.jpg|thumb|Garments worn by prisoners during the dictatorship, exhibited at the [[Museo de la Memoria (Uruguay)|Museum of Memory]]]]
After defeating the [[Tupamaros]], the military seized power in 1973. Torture was effectively used to gather information needed to break up the MLN{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} and also against trade union officers, members of the Communist Party and even regular citizens.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Torture practices extended until the end of Uruguayan dictatorship in 1985.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Uruguay soon had the highest per capita percentage of political prisoners in the world. The MLN heads were isolated in improvised prisons and subjected to repeated acts of torture.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} [[Emigration from Uruguay]] rose drastically as large numbers of Uruguayans looked for political asylum throughout the world.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Bordaberry was finally removed from his "president charge" in 1976. He was first succeeded by [[Alberto Demicheli]]. Subsequently, a national council chosen by the military government elected [[Aparicio Méndez]]. In 1980, in order to legitimize their position, the armed forces proposed a change in the constitution, to be subjected to a [[1980 Uruguayan constitutional referendum|popular vote by a referendum]]. The "No" votes against the constitutional changes totaled 57.2 percent of the turnout, showing the unpopularity of the ''de facto'' government that was later accelerated by an economic crisis.

In 1981, General [[Gregorio Conrado Álvarez|Gregorio Álvarez]] assumed the presidency. In 1982 primary elections in the political parties were held and in 1983 there began to be greater dialogue between the military junta and the political authorities.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Arregui |first=Miguel |title=Las cruciales internas de 1982 y la apertura democrática |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/las-cruciales-internas-de-1982-y-la-apertura-democratica-201961910254 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112191342/https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/las-cruciales-internas-de-1982-y-la-apertura-democratica-201961910254 |archive-date=2023-11-12 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=El Observador}}</ref> In November, after the negotiations were canceled due to lack of agreement, a [[1983 Uruguayan pro-democracy demonstration|massive demonstration]] was held at the [[Obelisk of Montevideo|Obelisk of the Constituents]] in Montevideo, to demand a democratic transition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redacción |title=Leé un adelanto del libro "Un río de Libertad", a 40 años del acto del Obelisco |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/lee-un-adelanto-del-libro-un-rio-de-libertad-a-40-anos-del-acto-del-obelisco-2023112791549 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127133538/https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/lee-un-adelanto-del-libro-un-rio-de-libertad-a-40-anos-del-acto-del-obelisco-2023112791549 |archive-date=2023-11-27 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=El Observador}}</ref> From July to August 1984, talks were held that led to the [[Naval Club Pact]], in which the path to the return to civil rule was outlined.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reuniones Cívico-Militares |url=https://clubnaval.com.uy/home/sobre-el-club-naval/reuniones-civico-militares/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616150019/https://clubnaval.com.uy/home/sobre-el-club-naval/reuniones-civico-militares/ |archive-date=16 June 2023 |access-date=2023-12-03 |language=es }}</ref>

A [[1984 Uruguayan general election|general election]] was held later in 1984. [[Colorado Party (Uruguay)|Colorado Party]] leader [[Julio María Sanguinetti]] won the presidency and, following the brief interim Presidency of [[Rafael Addiego Bruno]], served from 1985 to 1990. The first Sanguinetti administration implemented economic reforms and consolidated democratization following the country's years under military rule. Nonetheless, Sanguinetti never supported the human rights violations accusations, and his government did not prosecute the military officials who engaged in repression and torture against either the Tupamaros or the MLN. Instead, he opted for signing an amnesty treaty called in Spanish "Ley de Amnistia".

Around 180 Uruguayans are known to have been killed during the 12-year military rule from 1973 to 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=New find in Uruguay 'missing' dig |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4494286.stm |publisher=BBC News  |date=3 December 2005 |access-date=4 February 2011}}</ref> Most were killed in Argentina and other neighboring countries, with only 36 of them having been killed in Uruguay.<ref>{{cite news |title=Uruguay dig finds 'disappeared' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4485288.stm |publisher=BBC News  |date=30 November 2005 |access-date=4 February 2011}}</ref> A large number of those killed were never found, and the missing people have been referred to as the "disappeared", or "desaparecidos" in Spanish.