The march called by Mothers and Relatives of Disappeared Detainees rejects the granting of house arrest to repressors of the dictatorship

Montevideo, December 9 (RHC)-- The Uruguayan organization Mothers and Relatives of Disappeared Detainees, along with 30 other social organizations, held a massive protest this Thursday against the legislation that would grant house arrest to prisoners over 65 years old.

The Association of Political Prisoners of Uruguay (Crysol) and the Uruguayan Federation of Housing Cooperatives for Mutual Aid (Fucvam) accompanied the call.   In addition, the Federation of University Students of Uruguay (FEUU) and the Plenario Intersindical de Trabajadores - Convención Nacional de Trabajadores (PIT-CNT) will participate.

The rally began at the Libertad Square and marched to the Legislative Palace, where the initiative is being debated.  Earlier this week, the session scheduled in the Constitution and Legislation Commission of the Senate was suspended and the coalition intends to continue with this in 2022.

CA presented this project with a single article that proposes house arrest for defendants and convicted persons over 65 years of age who are deprived of their liberty in prisons.   About 100 people over 65 are those who are in prison, mostly for violent crimes such as homicides, femicides, sex crimes and crimes against humanity.

The senator of Cabildo Abierto (CA), Guillermo Domenech, one of the promoters of the initiative, affirmed to local media that for his political group this project is a priority, but since no new date has been set, he foresees that it will be difficult for the project to prosper, since he does not see the will of the remaining members of the commission to continue.

"Being realistic and making a reasonable assessment of the situation, it is going to be very difficult for this project to be approved in committee and much less in the Plenary, because the last sessions are on December 14 and 15," he highlighted.

"Against house arrest for genocides" will be the slogan that social organizations will raise on this day.  According to the member of Mothers and Relatives, Ignacio Errandonea, the postponement of the treatment of the bill is related to the march of this Thursday, "because they wanted to take it out without making waves", he said.

"To the extent that we are mobilized, the fact that there is pressure not to vote, generates internal contradictions in the coalition, then that monolithic vote that apparently existed, if they have to pay the political cost, they will have to think twice and they will have to darn these discrepancies that are being manifested," he commented.