Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay

Oriental Republic of Uruguay
República Oriental del Uruguay
1973–1985
Motto: "Libertad o Muerte" (Spanish)
"Freedom or Death"
Anthem: Himno Nacional de Uruguay
"National Anthem of Uruguay"
Location of Uruguay
CapitalMontevideo
Common languagesSpanish
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic under a military dictatorship
President 
• 1973–1976
Juan María Bordaberry
• 1976
Alberto Demicheli
• 1976–1981
Aparicio Méndez
• 1981–1985
Gregorio Álvarez
• 1985
Rafael Addiego
Historical eraCold War
June 27, 1973
• Elections
November 25, 1984
March 1, 1985
HDI (1980)0.658[1]
medium
CurrencyPeso (1973−1975)
Nuevo peso (1975−1985)
ISO 3166 codeUY
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Uruguay
Uruguay

The civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay (1973–85), also known as the Uruguayan Dictatorship, was an authoritarian military dictatorship that ruled Uruguay for 12 years, from June 27, 1973 (after the 1973 coup d'état) until March 1, 1985. The dictatorship has been the subject of much controversy due to its violations of human rights, use of torture, and the unexplained disappearances of many Uruguayans.[2] The term "civic-military" refers to the military regime's relatively gradual usurpation of power from civilian presidents who continued to serve as head of state,[3] which distinguished it from dictatorships in other South American countries in which senior military officers immediately seized power and directly served as head of state.

The dictatorship was the culmination of an escalation of violence and authoritarianism in a traditionally peaceful and democratic country, and existed within the context of other military dictatorships in the region. It resulted in the suppression of all former political activity, including the traditional political parties. Many people were imprisoned and tortured, especially Uruguayans with left-wing sympathies.[4]

  1. ^ "Human Development Report 2014" (PDF). hdr.undp.org.
  2. ^ "History of Uruguay". Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  3. ^ Renfrew, Daniel (2018). Life Without Lead: Contamination, Crisis, and Hope in Uruguay. Oakland: University of California Press. p. 240. ISBN 9780520295476. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  4. ^ "URUGUAY - THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT". Retrieved 25 October 2015.