Gregorio Conrado Álvarez
Encyclopedia
Gregorio Conrado Álvarez Armelino (born November 26, 1926 in Montevideo
) is a Uruguay
an general
and former dictator
. He served as the de facto president of Uruguay
from 1981 until 1985.
(urban guerrillas). Reportedly, he used information obtained from captured guerrillas to crack down on corruption in the administration of President Juan María Bordaberry
.
In February 1978 he became commander in chief of the army.
won the presidential election, Álvarez resigned (on February 12, 1985). Rafael Addiego
, president of the Supreme Court, then took office as interim president until Sanguinetti was sworn in on March 1. It might be added that while Alvarez did not look favourably upon Sanguinetti
's candidacy in 1984, he has in recent years found a slightly unlikely defender in Sanguinetti
, who has argued that the amnesty relating to the dictatorship of 1973-1985 should not be set aside to prosecute even the more overtly military and unpalatable figures such as Álvarez, who were prominent during that period.
Álvarez's loss of support from the (relatively) more moderate members of the National Security Council in the run-up to the 1984 elections and his subsequent resignation invites scrutiny of the relationship between the Council, the military, and the constitutional party leaders. Some would argue that Álvarez's accession to the office of president in 1981 marked a high point of his power, which continued until his resignation. Others would argue that Álvarez's assumption of the permanent secretaryship of the National Security Council in 1973 marked the real point at which he gained what amounted to substantial executive powers. From whichever perspective, however, the fact remains that General Álvarez's public role as a military figure was set against the background of sizeable civilian participation in government in the 1973-1985. It is also the case that Álvarez was to some extent sidelined even during his Presidency. In a country such as Uruguay which had some tradition of civilian rule by decree (e.g., during the Presidency of Gabriel Terra
, whose Interior Minister Alberto Demichelli later became President in 1976), it is arguably not accurate to equate rule by decree with military rule, although these may at times coincide.
in the civilian-military administration that lasted from 1973 to 1985, Álvarez, was, in fact, the only one to carry a military title. These five individuals were: Juan María Bordaberry
, Alberto Demichelli, Aparicio Méndez
, Álvarez, and Rafael Addiego
. Some would argue that this fact is significant when assessing the degree of civilian participation in the regime. Others would argue that an unelected president backed by the military may sometimes merely constitute a cosmetic figurehead.
of the Frente Amplio
in November 2004, there have been renewed calls for the prosecution of Álvarez for human rights
abuses, for his part in Bordaberry's 1973 coup, and subsequent events. Some would argue that the widely substantiated crimes committed during that period justify the setting aside of the amnesty. Others would point to lack of good faith by those who were willing to see Tupamaro guerrillas covered by the amnesty, but subsequently wished for it to be set aside only partially.
In July 2006 Álvarez's residence in Montevideo
became the focal point for demonstrators protesting the disappearance of opponents of the 1973-1985 civilian-military administration. Defenders of such protests could argue that Álvarez symbolizes some of the least attractive aspects of the dictatorship of 1973-1985. On the other hand it may be accurately asserted that since Álvarez was the only serving military individual to serve as President in the five Presidencies of that period, such protests, whether justified or not, may serve to obscure the substantial civilian support for that administration by Colorado
and Blanco
politicians. From the point of view of those parties, therefore, such protests serve to deflect any focus upon the role exercised by prominent individuals in those parties during that regime.
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
) is a Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and former dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
. He served as the de facto president of Uruguay
President of Uruguay
The President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the head of state of Uruguay. His or her rights are determined in the Constitution of Uruguay. Conforms with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the executive branch...
from 1981 until 1985.
Background
Álvarez entered the Uruguayan military academy in 1940. He became chief of the mounted police in Montevideo in 1962. In 1971 he was promoted to general and then named chief of Esmaco, the Combined Armed Forces Command that ran the counterinsurgency operation against the TupamarosTupamaros
Tupamaros, also known as the MLN-T , was an urban guerrilla organization in Uruguay in the 1960s and 1970s. The MLN-T is inextricably linked to its most important leader, Raúl Sendic, and his brand of social politics...
(urban guerrillas). Reportedly, he used information obtained from captured guerrillas to crack down on corruption in the administration of President Juan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry Arocena was a Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher, who first served as President from 1972 until 1976, including as a dictator from 1973 until his ouster in a 1976 coup...
.
Civilian-military administration
When the military seized power in 1973, Álvarez became permanent secretary of the new Consejo de Seguridad Nacional (National Security Council).In February 1978 he became commander in chief of the army.
Events of Presidency
After Uruguay voted for a return to democracy in a referendum in 1980, General Álvarez forced the Consejo de Seguridad Nacional to name him president on September 1, 1981. Continuing the repression, not only against the Tupamaros but also against labor unions, he lost more popular support and also the support of the majority of the military. He agreed to the holding of legislative and presidential elections in November, 1984, which had been preceded by internal party elections in 1982. When Julio María Sanguinetti of the Colorado PartyColorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....
won the presidential election, Álvarez resigned (on February 12, 1985). Rafael Addiego
Rafael Addiego Bruno
Rafael Addiego Bruno is a Uruguayan jurist and political figure.He was President of Uruguay February - March 1985 as an interim measure, following the resignation, and accession to office, respectively, of Presidents Gregorio Álvarez and Julio María Sanguinetti.-Background:Addiego had been...
, president of the Supreme Court, then took office as interim president until Sanguinetti was sworn in on March 1. It might be added that while Alvarez did not look favourably upon Sanguinetti
Sanguinetti
Sanguinetti is a family name that may refer to:* Davide Sanguinetti , Italian professional tennis player* Gianfranco Sanguinetti, Italian writer and member of the Situationist International...
's candidacy in 1984, he has in recent years found a slightly unlikely defender in Sanguinetti
Sanguinetti
Sanguinetti is a family name that may refer to:* Davide Sanguinetti , Italian professional tennis player* Gianfranco Sanguinetti, Italian writer and member of the Situationist International...
, who has argued that the amnesty relating to the dictatorship of 1973-1985 should not be set aside to prosecute even the more overtly military and unpalatable figures such as Álvarez, who were prominent during that period.
Álvarez's loss of support from the (relatively) more moderate members of the National Security Council in the run-up to the 1984 elections and his subsequent resignation invites scrutiny of the relationship between the Council, the military, and the constitutional party leaders. Some would argue that Álvarez's accession to the office of president in 1981 marked a high point of his power, which continued until his resignation. Others would argue that Álvarez's assumption of the permanent secretaryship of the National Security Council in 1973 marked the real point at which he gained what amounted to substantial executive powers. From whichever perspective, however, the fact remains that General Álvarez's public role as a military figure was set against the background of sizeable civilian participation in government in the 1973-1985. It is also the case that Álvarez was to some extent sidelined even during his Presidency. In a country such as Uruguay which had some tradition of civilian rule by decree (e.g., during the Presidency of Gabriel Terra
Gabriel Terra
Dr. Gabriel Terra Leivas was the President of Uruguay from 1931 to 1938.- Background :Born in Montevideo to a wealthy family, he graduated from the University of Uruguay in 1895, and subsequently joined the faculty....
, whose Interior Minister Alberto Demichelli later became President in 1976), it is arguably not accurate to equate rule by decree with military rule, although these may at times coincide.
Military title
Among the five individuals who became President of UruguayPresident of Uruguay
The President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the head of state of Uruguay. His or her rights are determined in the Constitution of Uruguay. Conforms with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the executive branch...
in the civilian-military administration that lasted from 1973 to 1985, Álvarez, was, in fact, the only one to carry a military title. These five individuals were: Juan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry Arocena was a Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher, who first served as President from 1972 until 1976, including as a dictator from 1973 until his ouster in a 1976 coup...
, Alberto Demichelli, Aparicio Méndez
Aparicio Méndez
Aparicio Méndez Manfredini , was a Uruguayan political figure. He was a de facto President of Uruguay from 1976–1981. As a non-democratically elected authority of the Civic-military dictatorship .-Background:...
, Álvarez, and Rafael Addiego
Rafael Addiego Bruno
Rafael Addiego Bruno is a Uruguayan jurist and political figure.He was President of Uruguay February - March 1985 as an interim measure, following the resignation, and accession to office, respectively, of Presidents Gregorio Álvarez and Julio María Sanguinetti.-Background:Addiego had been...
. Some would argue that this fact is significant when assessing the degree of civilian participation in the regime. Others would argue that an unelected president backed by the military may sometimes merely constitute a cosmetic figurehead.
Retirement
Although he was covered by a 1986 amnesty, since the election to the presidency of Tabaré VázquezTabaré Vázquez
Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas is a former President of Uruguay. A physician by training, he is a member of the leftist Frente Amplo coalition . Vázquez was elected president on October 31, 2004, took office on March 1, 2005, and relinquished the office on March 1, 2010...
of the Frente Amplio
Broad Front (Uruguay)
The Broad Front is a Uruguayan left-wing coalition of political parties. It is led by Jorge Brovetto. Frente Amplio has close ties with PIT-CNT trade union and the cooperative housing movement.-History:...
in November 2004, there have been renewed calls for the prosecution of Álvarez for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuses, for his part in Bordaberry's 1973 coup, and subsequent events. Some would argue that the widely substantiated crimes committed during that period justify the setting aside of the amnesty. Others would point to lack of good faith by those who were willing to see Tupamaro guerrillas covered by the amnesty, but subsequently wished for it to be set aside only partially.
In July 2006 Álvarez's residence in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
became the focal point for demonstrators protesting the disappearance of opponents of the 1973-1985 civilian-military administration. Defenders of such protests could argue that Álvarez symbolizes some of the least attractive aspects of the dictatorship of 1973-1985. On the other hand it may be accurately asserted that since Álvarez was the only serving military individual to serve as President in the five Presidencies of that period, such protests, whether justified or not, may serve to obscure the substantial civilian support for that administration by Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Blanco
Blanco
Blanco is an adjective often used in surnames.It may refer to:-General:*Eduardo Blanco , multiple people with the name*Francisco Manuel Blanco, botanist*Griselda Blanco, United States drug lord...
politicians. From the point of view of those parties, therefore, such protests serve to deflect any focus upon the role exercised by prominent individuals in those parties during that regime.
Indictment and imprisonment
In December 2007 Álvarez was indicted for alleged human rights abuses during the dictatorship in which he played a prominent role. On October 22, 2009, he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for 37 counts of murder and human rights violations; however, he was not in court to hear the verdict as he was ill.External links
http://www.pvp.org.uy/goyo.htm- http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/12/former-uruguay-military-dictator.php
- Short biography and a photo
- Uruguayan dictator guilty of murder aljazeera
See also
- Politics of UruguayPolitics of UruguayThe Politics of Uruguay abide by a presidential representative democratic republic, under which the President of Uruguay is both the head of state and the head of government, as well as a multiform party system. The president exercises executive power and Legislative power is vested in the two...
- Vice President of Uruguay#Lack of inherent legal position