| History of Uruguay | |
|---|---|
This article is part of a series |
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| Early History | |
| Charrúa people | |
| British invasions | |
| Federal League | |
| Cisplatina | |
| Thirty-Three Orientals | |
| Treaty of Montevideo | |
| Independent State | |
| War of the Triple Alliance | |
| Revolution of the Lances | |
| Battle of Masoller | |
| 20th Century | |
| Batllism | |
| 1933 coup d'etat | |
| Neo-Batllism | |
| Military Regime | |
| Tupamaros | |
| 1973 coup d'etat | |
| Civic-military dictatorship (1973-1985) | |
| Modern Uruguay | |
| Mercosur | |
| 2004 Elections | |
| Politics of Uruguay | |
|
Uruguay Portal |
The Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay (1973–1985) lasted from June 27, 1973 following the 1973 coup d'état until February 28, 1985.
This dictatorship was the corollary of an escalation of violence and authoritarism in a traditionally peaceful country, and should be analyzed in the light of the Cold War context and other military dictatorships in the region.
It meant the suppression of all former political activity, including the traditional parties and the left. Many people were imprisoned and tortured, especially left-wingers.
Four de-facto presidents were the visible heads of this regime:
In 1980 the military tried to impose a new Constitution that meant entrenching them in power, and they failed to do so, since the plebiscite meant a resounding "No". Soon afterwards the political parties started reorganizing; in November 1984 there were general elections, won by Julio María Sanguinetti, and the 12-year-long dictatorship came to an end.
The sequels of this dictatorship still give foot to debate and controversy.