Uruguay: Information on problems faced by the Communist Party or its members, particularly from the military
| Publisher | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | URY15865.E |
| Cite as | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Uruguay: Information on problems faced by the Communist Party or its members, particularly from the military, 1 November 1993, URY15865.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aca84.html [accessed 23 May 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Few current (1992-1993) references to the Partido Comunista de Uruguay (PCU, Communist Party of Uruguay) could be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB. The most recent detailed report available is from the Uruguayan journal Búsqueda, which describes the fragmentation of the party as well as dissent and desertion among its members (28 Oct. 1993, 11).
The Búsqueda article reports that dissident members who were elected to the Uruguayan Congress in 1989 on the Communist Party ticket did not relinquish their seats after breaking away from the PCU, and that their alignment with the Frente Amplio (FA, a political coalition of which the PCU is also a member) is being opposed by the PCU. The report also names congressmen and municipal council members elected on the PCU ticket who have reportedly distanced themselves from the PCU, and states that current members of the PCU blame the dissidents for leaving the party in a disastrous economic situation.
The attached article from Inter Press Service also reports on divisions within the Communist Party and differences within the FA (16 Nov. 1993).
Also attached please find several articles from the Southern Cone Report and one from the Latin American Weekly Report that provide more details on the divisions and political problems faced by the Communist Party of Uruguay. One of the attached Southern Cone Report articles provides information on terrorist acts attributed to a group with possible links to active or retired military officers (28 May 1992, 6-7). The acts are reported in other sources available at the Ottawa and Regional Documentation Centres. These reports do not mention members or facilities of the Communist Party; one of the attacks on former president Sanguinetti reportedly damaged the offices of a former deputy and another politician who shared offices with Sanguinetti. The available reports, however, do not mention links between these politicians and the Communist Party.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Búsqueda [Montevideo]. 28 October 1993. "Los ex dirigentes del Partido Comunista navegan en un mar de dudas y sin perspectivas electorales claras de reagrupamiento."
Inter Press Service (IPS). 16 November 1993. Raul Ronzoni. "Uruguay: Leftists Struggle to Unite Before 1994 Elections." (NEXIS)
Latin American Regional Reports: Southern Cone Report [London]. 28 May 1992. "Retired Officers Warn of Trouble."
Attachments
Búsqueda [Montevideo]. 28 October 1993. "Los ex dirigentes del Partido Comunista navegan en un mar de dudas y sin perspectivas electorales claras de reagrupamiento," p. 11.
Inter Press Service (IPS). 16 November 1993. Raul Ronzoni. "Uruguay: Leftists Struggle to Unite Before 1994 Elections." (NEXIS)
Latin American Regional Reports: Southern Cone Report [London]. 10 September 1992. "Corruption Claims Split Frente Amplio."
. 28 May 1992. "Retired Officers Warn of Trouble."
. 16 April 1992. "Uruguay: Socialists Want FA Leadership."
Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 4 November 1993. "Uruguay: Unrest Within Unions."
