Staten och civilsamhället i Uruguay

Lack of political interest and will to deal with human rights violations carried out under the civil- military dictatorship, has characterized the transition and post-transition in Uruguay. The systematic use of torture, arbitrary imprisonments and forced disappearances in the relatively small country created a culture of fear that has been present through out the post-transition phase. Human rights groups have been central actors in the fight for truth and justice and against impunity. This study analyzes how these groups multiple democracy-building functions have contributed to democratic development. It also analyses how the democracy-building functions have been constrained by the political context. The study shows how the states strong consensus regarding silence and oblivion as the best way to overcome the past has constrained the human rights groups? democracy-building potential. By not addressing the past the culture of fear and silence has survived the transition and has also constrained these functions. Despite these constraints the study shows that the human rights groups in the post- transition have played important roles as agenda setters drawing attention to democratic deficits, as educators for human rights issues and also as a counterpart of the government