El silencio fue casi una virtud

Memory studies in Uruguay are mostly based on testimonies and interpretations of the victims of State terrorism. Instead, our approach will underline the “frozen memory” of the National Party regarding some recent historical issues – inter alia the Pact of the Navy Club and the 1984 national elections – during the Parliamentary approval of the Ley de Caducidad de la Pretensión Punitiva del Estado, which basically pardoned the army for their crimes. The law was proposed and supported by the National Party in 1986. This frozen memory was fully maintained during the two attempts to cancel the law, in April and October 2011. The purpose of this article is to show and evaluate this particular process.En Uruguay los estudios de memoria están principalmente basados en testimonios e interpretaciones de las víctimas del terrorismo de Estado. Nuestro enfoque en cambio abundará en la “memoria congelada” que el Partido Nacional mantuvo respecto a algunos aspectos de la historia reciente – como el Pacto del Club Naval y las elecciones de 1984 – durante el debate parlamentario de la ley de Caducidad de la Pretensión Punitiva del Estado, o sea de perdón a los militares perpetradores. La ley fue propuesta y defendida por el Partido Nacional en 1986. La memoria congelada nacionalista permaneció inmutable en las dos instancias en que se intentó anular la ley, en abril y octubre de 2011. Este artículo pretende mostrar y evaluar este proceso.Memory studies in Uruguay are mostly based on testimonies and interpretations of the victims of State terrorism. Instead, our approach will underline the “frozen memory” of the National Party regarding some recent historical issues – inter alia the Pact of the Navy Club and the 1984 national elections – during the Parliamentary approval of the Ley de Caducidad de la Pretensión Punitiva del Estado, which basically pardoned the army for their crimes. The law was proposed and supported by the National Party in 1986. This frozen memory was fully maintained during the two attempts to cancel the law, in April and October 2011. The purpose of this article is to show and evaluate this particular process.Memory studies in Uruguay are mostly based on testimonies and interpretations of the victims of State terrorism. Instead, our approach will underline the “frozen memory” of the National Party regarding some recent historical issues – inter alia the Pact of the Navy Club and the 1984 national elections – during the Parliamentary approval of the Ley de Caducidad de la Pretensión Punitiva del Estado, which basically pardoned the army for their crimes. The law was proposed and supported by the National Party in 1986. This frozen memory was fully maintained during the two attempts to cancel the law, in April and October 2011. The purpose of this article is to show and evaluate this particular process