Tupamaros Essay
The Tupamaros of Uruguay
Uruguay in the 1960¹s was distinct among other South American counties for its affluence and sociopolitical stability. Economic prosperity had fostered the growth of a large middle class and a stable welfare-state government that allowed a wider degree of democratic and civil freedoms larger than any other South American government. Because Uruguayan society was so peaceful, the Army and Police were very small. In 1968 there were only about 12,000 men in the armed forces and fewer than 22,000 police to keep order in a population of about 3 million. A slump in the demand for wool and meat, Uruguay¹s two principal exports, after the Korean War brought mass unemployment, inflation, and a steep drop in the …show more content…
Although at first the Army and Police were small and untrained in counterinsurgency techniques, a paramilitary body of 20,000 men called the Metropolitan Guards was set up in 1968. It was trained by American and Brazilian policemen, and its main duty was to oppose the Tupamaros. The security forces were handicapped by a lack of reliable informers, a coordinated network for sharing and disseminating intelligence, and their habit of conducting massive cordon-and-search operations that more often than not alienated the public¹s support. It appeared to many people that the Tupamaros, who by now had reached an active strength of almost 3,000, were running rings around the police. The economy failed to improve, and a series of corruption scandals in 1970 and 1971 further undermined public support for the government. It seemed that the Tupamaros were on the verge of creating the climate of collapse¹ that would lead to the government¹s fall. In November 1971 presidential elections were held. An alliance of left-wing parties called the Frente Amplio emerged to challenge the rule of the two traditional political parties. The Tupamaros, gave vocal support to the Frente Amplio while continuing their campaign of provocation. However, the murder of Dan
Uruguay in the 1960¹s was distinct among other South American counties for its affluence and sociopolitical stability. Economic prosperity had fostered the growth of a large middle class and a stable welfare-state government that allowed a wider degree of democratic and civil freedoms larger than any other South American government. Because Uruguayan society was so peaceful, the Army and Police were very small. In 1968 there were only about 12,000 men in the armed forces and fewer than 22,000 police to keep order in a population of about 3 million. A slump in the demand for wool and meat, Uruguay¹s two principal exports, after the Korean War brought mass unemployment, inflation, and a steep drop in the …show more content…
Although at first the Army and Police were small and untrained in counterinsurgency techniques, a paramilitary body of 20,000 men called the Metropolitan Guards was set up in 1968. It was trained by American and Brazilian policemen, and its main duty was to oppose the Tupamaros. The security forces were handicapped by a lack of reliable informers, a coordinated network for sharing and disseminating intelligence, and their habit of conducting massive cordon-and-search operations that more often than not alienated the public¹s support. It appeared to many people that the Tupamaros, who by now had reached an active strength of almost 3,000, were running rings around the police. The economy failed to improve, and a series of corruption scandals in 1970 and 1971 further undermined public support for the government. It seemed that the Tupamaros were on the verge of creating the climate of collapse¹ that would lead to the government¹s fall. In November 1971 presidential elections were held. An alliance of left-wing parties called the Frente Amplio emerged to challenge the rule of the two traditional political parties. The Tupamaros, gave vocal support to the Frente Amplio while continuing their campaign of provocation. However, the murder of Dan