60
given to an Uruguayan family. The circumstances surrounding her death, however, have not
been fully confirmed. 178
158. In the annex 5(2) to the Final Report of the Commission for Peace Some of
the aforementioned facts are described, and it explains that no concrete measures
were taken to begin an investigation, “making it impossible to verify the
circumstances surrounding her death and the subsequent fate of her bodily remains.”
It concludes that there is no logical explanation for the kidnapping of the young
woman who had no ties to Uruguay, but that it is firmly believed that she was killed
after her baby was abducted from her. 179
159. In March 2005, the administration of President Tabaré Vásquez pledged to
begin excavating military grounds in order to determine the fate of the many citizens
who were detained and disappeared during the military dictatorship180 and pursuant
to this, decided to undertake the investigations needed, with special instruction to
locate the remains of María Claudia García. 181 These tasks were later suspended, but
according to a report to the Inter-American Commission, this would not impede “the
Government of Uruguay from [continuing] with its task of searching for the remains
of the detained-disappeared citizens[, to which] it will continue with its
investigation.” 182
160. On December 26, 2006, the Executive Branch issued a resolution declaring
the culmination of the first phase of investigations of the enforced disappearances
that occurred within the nation. Furthermore, it ordered that the reports submitted
by the Commanders in Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the report from the
University of the Republic, be published. 183
161. In 2007, the Executive Branch commissioned the publication of the book,
Historical Investigation on Disappeared Detainees in compliance with Article 4 of Law
[No.] 15.848 [“Investigación Histórica sobre Detenidos Desaparecidos en
cumplimiento del artículo 4 de la Ley [No.] 15.848”] The book contains a historical
account of the case studies of the disappeared detainees in Uruguay and the
surrounding region (Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Colombia) and the international
efforts carried out by the victims’ next of kin. Moreover, it gives a detailed account of
178
Cf. Final Report of the Commission for Peace, supra note 56, para. 54, evidence, folio 299.
179
Cf. Final Report of the Commission for Peace, supra note 56, annex 5.2, evidence, folios 2201 to
2203.
180
Cf. Opening address by former-President Miguel Vazquez, on 1 March 2005, Evidence,
pages 5030-5032. The measure adopted by the President included field work consisting of earth removal,
in places of possible sites that could have been somehow linked to specific or suspected claims, technically
proven, as sites where clandestine cemeteries could have existed. Thus with two objectives in mind, entry
to military Battalions was resolved: to find bodily remains of murdered people, and to confirm if, an
unearthing operation on those grounds had previously taken place, consisting on the ulterior removal of
corpses, in order to not leave their traces behind.
181
Cf. Report presented by the State on December 14, 2006 during the proceeding before the InterAmerican Commission, evidence, folio 603, wherein it was indicated that “the physical location of the
remains [...] and the determination of the bitter and heartbreaking circumstances of the death of Maria
Claudia, remain the unwavering obligation of the Uruguayan Government.”
182
Report presented by the State on December 14, 2006, supra note 182, evidence, folio 603.
183
Resolution of the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay No. 832/2006, of December 26,
2006, evidence, folio 2113.
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