Encircled by scandal, Tabaré Vázquez has sacked the new military leadership

MONTEVIDEO.- General José González, a military paratrooper who replaced fired leader Guido Manini Ríos, who is now preparing to run for president, has only held 14 days as commander-in-chief of the 39; army.

In the midst of a political crisis for the recognition of guilt in the crimes of dictatorship (1973-1985), the new leader of the demobilized army dragged the minister and the deputy minister of defense, who resigned, along with five other generals.

The reason for this is the public transcendence of military statements before the internal courts of the armed forces, in which they recognized crimes without the commanders having considered them to be serious events.

What's the case In 1973, the military arrested Tupamaro activist Roberto Gomensoro, and a few days later, he declared that he had escaped. But he was really dead in a barracks and his corpse appeared in a river in the center of the country. Nobody recognized this body, but before burying it, the coroner was found with the skull.

In 2002, the file was reopened for a complaint and when they went to see the coffin, there was nothing. The skull made it possible to do the DNA test and to check that it was a good thing of Gomensoro's body.

Another Tupamaro activist said that he had seen it when a colonel named Gomez had killed Gomensoro. This retired soldier has been found in prison, although there is no evidence. The girls trusted the innocence of their father and brought the case to the journalist Leonardo Haberkorn, who investigated the fact and published a book that brings together the tragic story. In the middle of this, another retired soldier told the truth in court and Gomez regained his freedom.

But the case was going to generate more surprises. The military involved in the disappearance of this militant went to an army court of honor and claimed that they had not harmed the honor of the army. # 39; institution. They were observed, however, because they let Gomez go to jail, knowing that he was innocent.

The report was sent to the Ministry of Defense and then to the President

Tabaré Vázquez,

that, although with reservations, approved the decision. At the same time, Vázquez decided to dismiss the then head of the army, Guido Manini Ríos, because, in his comments, he severely criticized justice, saying that she was dealing with no evidence the army of the dictatorship.

Vazquez's relations with General Manini had deteriorated. He had already condemned him to a rigorous arrest last year, but the formula he found for dismissing him would end up posing new problems. Instead of Manini, he appointed General José González, one of the members of the controversial court of honor, which took the head of the army. March 18th.

"By receiving the highest honor to badume the responsibility of directing our strength, it is badumed with humility, spirit of sacrifice and responsibility, but most of all by being fully aware of the challenge to be met," said L & # 39; army.

But Saturday, the newspaper
L & # 39; Observer He published the contents of the court records in which the most questioned military under torture and crimes, Lieutenant-Colonel Jose Gavazzo, admitted that he had interrogated Gomensoro, that one morning he was "released" and that a superior had asked him to do so. He said he had loaded the body, drove it to the center of the country, pbaded it to a boat, wrapped it in a wire mesh, attached stones and throwing it into the Negro River.

The court of honor composed of Generals José González, Gustavo Fajardo and Alfredo Erramún concluded that military officers Gavazzo and Silveira – one of the defendants – did not undermine the honor of the army, but to that of the officer corps, since they had not saved the army. Colonel Gomez

Gavazzo and Silveira appealed and the case was brought before a court of appeal with three other generals. They had all the statements of the person responsible for the disappearance and did nothing. Neither the ministry. Of the 16 generals in the army, Vázquez dismissed seven generals in less than a month.

The opposition accused the government of having the record to read, but they reacted when a reporter announced it.

Former Colorado Party candidate Julio María Sanguinetti said: "It was a mistake for the government to approve a horrible decision of the court, it was another mistake to appoint a dubious commander, it is a mistake. wise decision to eliminate them all; an essential question. "