URUGUAY FREE THE
POLITICAL PRISONERS A very severe repression against worker and revolutionary militants is raging in Uruguay, creating an extremely difficult situation for the clandestine organizations. On March 23, seven militants of the Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores (Uruguay), sympathizing organization of the Fourth International, were arrested by the "Fuerzas Conjuntas"(1) during a search operation. The following week, seven more militants were arrested. New searches and arrests are still going on. The fourteen arrested comrades were held for two months in the barracks of the Fourth Cavalry Regiment and were then transferred to the barracks of the Fifth Cavalry Regiment. The FF.CC. utilized physical and psychological torture, "scientific torture" under medical control, in on attempt to wring statements out of the arrested comrades that would enoble the police to diagram certain organizations and arrest other militants. Through the same methods the police tried to force the prisoners to sign confessions declaring themselves odvocates of the principles and action of guerrilla orgonizabresoe fions. The torture was intensive during the first three weeks; it was conducted not only on a daily basis, but several times o day. Throughout these three weeks, the prisoners were kept hooded and handcuffed, even when they were allowed to sleep. Their hands were untied and the hoods were partially removed only when they ate or went to the toilet (twice a day). For twenty days the lives of these comrades were in danger: There were electric shocks, the "Baths"(2), blows from special rubber clubs, death threats, and threats of rape against women comrades. On June 9 the military court pronounced sentence Twelve of the militants were sentenced to terms of twoto-six years in prison, Ten of the comrades sentenced were accused of "conspiracy and attacks on the Constitution"; the two others were accused of "attacks on the Constitution and corspiracy followed by preparatory acts, " one being accused of founding a nucleus of the 32 Edfieur responsable: René Groslombert,
Following is o list of the prisoners, os reported in the May 29,1975, El Pafs:
*Carlos Raul Astellano Del Rio, 29, teacher.
*Fernando Alfredo Souto Souto, 25, employee.
*Maria Liliana Caviglio de Soto, 19, student.
*Fredy Sixto Cabrera Dos Santos, 19, employee at Plastela S.A.
*Ricardo Francisco Garcia Damonte,
19, student-
*Romon Suarès Trelles, 19, employee at Combio Bafo.
"Luis Alberto Villarubia Mesonies, 31, student.
*Aldo Bruno Gill Baptista, 19, employee,
*Hugo Javier Mortinez Boez, 19, employee at the Anglo-Uruguayan Institute.
*Walter Roberto Longo Porcile, 19, student.
*Ruben Schubert Coronel Clavijo, 19, employee at Fabrica de Lodrillos Morris.
*Julio Cesar Vuolo Costro, 19, employee.
* Maria Crisrina Araujo López, 20, employee af a shirt factory,
•Mario de los Angeles Barboza Pena,
21, teacher.
Juventud Socialista de Avanzado (Vanguard Socialist
Youth), the other of being a leading member of the
PST(U). Three days later another of the accused, a young miner, was released. One militant remains in prison without having been tried.
After three months of total Isolation, during which they were denied the right to write or to be visited by their
Families, the prisoners were authorized to receive limited
(censored) correspondence from their immediate families.
They are now serving out their terms in an old railroad car, separated by sex, awaiting their final transfer to one of the barracks or prisons in which the 7, 000 political prisoners of the regime are held.
In the meantime, sixteen other militants have been cited by the military court, which means that a warrant has been issued ordering that they be brought before the court.
In this situation, the most difficult that has confronted worker militants under the dictatorial regime established in the country in June 1973, we call on all democrats and revolutionaries throughouf the world to initiate powerful solidarity actions.
The persecution of militants and the dangers faced by the thirteen milttonts presently in the hands of the military must be denounced. These denunciations must be conveyed by letters and telegrams to the Uruguayan emcont'd. on pg. 31
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