Between remembering and forgetting: Uruguayan military discourse about human rights (1976—2004)

Abstract

This article investigates the Uruguayan military's argumentative narrative about the last dictatorship (1973—85) in order to understand how violations of human rights are explained and justified. Through a historical perspective the investigation traces the changes and permanence of certain representational and discursive practices that construct the memory of the period. The analysis shows how the military's argumentative narrative about the dictatorship is transformed in response to challenges from other social actors, in particular historical moments. This analysis demonstrates the dynamic, historical and discursive nature of collective memory. The article also highlights how the military as an institution deals with the effects of decisions and actions that challenge its presentation of self as a positive and moral institution of society.