Tupamaros

The Tupamaros, full name Movimiento de Liberación Nacional - Tupamaros (MLN -T, National Liberation Movement - Tupamaros ) were a communist guerrilla movement in Uruguay, that formed from union members and from 1963 worked as an underground movement until the 1970s. Since 1985 she acts as a political party.

Name

The name is derived from the Peruvian Tupac Amaru rebel leader II ( 1738-1781 ). Also, the Uruguayan national army that fought to 1811 against the colonial power Spain, called " Tupamaros ".

History

During the 1960s, the Tupamaros distanced nor of armed actions and violence. You made ​​a point, because to appear more as a political movement as classic guerrilla. Your concept of urban guerrilla included contrast in particular a disrespectful public relations. From 1968, the government's actions is intensified against labor unrest in the country, ranging up to the promulgation of emergency laws. The government measures included political imprisonments, the use of torture during interrogations and the violent suppression of protests.

Since 1970, the Tupamaros radicalized with the kidnapping and murder of high-ranking personalities as well as attacks in several major cities. The activities of the movement reached its peak in the years 1970 and 1971. During this time, she turned her concept Carcel del Pueblo (People's jail) to. The victims of their abductions, including, for example, the American CIA agent and security consultant of the Uruguayan interior authorities Daniel A. Mitrione, were detained and interrogated, made ​​the results of the interrogation finally open to the public. In 1971, escaped more than a hundred Tupamaros at a major prison escape.

Politically, however, the movement did not reach change the government, which was seen in the electoral defeat of the Left in 1971. In addition, the Tupamaros came under increasing military pressure by the army and police of Uruguay, which was trained and supported by the U.S. Office of Public Safety. The massive use of force weakened the movement and in 1972 a number of persons had been arrested. Among other things, the leader Raúl Sendic was taken and how many others in prison until the end of the military dictatorship in 1985. Survivors leading members decided at that time to participate in democratic elections. They founded the Movement for People's Participation ( Movimiento de Participación Popular), which has become the strongest party of the left party alliance Frente Amplio. In October 2004, the Alliance Party won the elections and since then has been the government. One of the former leading members of the Tupamaros, José Mujica, was from 2005 to 2008 Minister of Agriculture and is elected president since November 2009.

The concept of the Tupamaros was widely imitated in Europe with different political, first in 1969 by the Tupamaros West Berlin and Munich Tupamaros and then by the Italian Red Brigades, the German Red Army Faction and the 2nd of June Movement.

Movies

• Constantin Costa -Gavras: The invisible insurrection. original État de Siège (1972 )
• Rainer Hoffmann, Heidi Specogna: Tupamaros. Documentary with Pepe Mujica et. al. (1997)