Anthropologists working with the Uruguayan government to locate the remains of people ‘disappeared’ by the military dictatorship there discovered the partial remains of the first victim ever discovered since the end of the dictatorship in 1985.
“This is a drama with two faces,” said Uruguayan President Tabaré Vásquez. “One of satisfaction to be able to fulfill the letter of the law, to finally know what happened to the disappeared, and also the enormous sadness and shock of what happened in our country.”
Since President Vásquez took office in March he has repeatedly pushed the Uruguayan military for information on human rights abuses committed during the military dictatorship between 1973 and 1985. After initial information from the military failed to produce any concrete discoveries President Vásquez threatened to dismiss several army leaders unless they cooperated more fully with investigations (ST, Oct. 5).
Argentine anthropologist José López is coordinating the excavation that found the first remains at a former Air Force base in Pando, 30km outside of Montevideo. Investigators believe the remains belong to either Arpino Vega or Ubagesner Chávez, two communists identified in a document given to the government in August.
López and his team discovered have so far unearthed two legs and a tibia, and expect to find a second body by the end of the week. The remains will be sent to a laboratory for DNA testing that will take at least 6 weeks before the government can definitively identify the remains.
President Vásquez also announced that the team of forensic experts working at Army Barracks 13 and 14 would be presenting “very important discoveries” on Wednesday.
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