GENERALS, ONE OF WHOM WAS A COMMANDER DURING THE DICTATORSHIP, SOUGHT TO ABSOLVE SUBORDINATES FROM ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN CRIMINAL ACTIONS, SAYING THEY WERE ACTING "UNDER ORDERS." POLITICAL ANALYSTS IN MONTEVIDEO SAID THE LETTER WAS AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT A SERIES OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SUBORDINATES INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, BY PUTTING THEMSELVES IN THE FIRING LINE INSTEAD. IN 1986, ONE YEAR AFTER THE COUNTRY'S RETURN TO DEMOCRACY, CONSERVATIVE URUGUAYAN PRESIDENT JULIO SANGUINETTI GRANTED AMNESTY TO ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN REPRESSIVE ACTS DURING THE FORMER DICTATORSHIP. THE DECREE SAID THAT ONLY THE EXECUTIVE WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO REOPEN INVESTIGATIONS, WHICH THE THEN CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT HAD NO INTEREST IN DOING. BUT SINCE THE ELECTION LAST YEAR OF URUGUAY'S FIRST LEFTWING PRESIDENT, TABARE VAZQUEZ, THE POSSIBILITY OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN RAISED, SPARKING THE EX-GENERAL'S REACTION.
