The former dictator of Uruguay, Gregorio Alvarez, has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for murder and the violation of human rights between 1981 and 1985.

The 82-year-old Mr Alvarez was found guilty of the murder of 37 Argentinian dissidents. During the years of his dictatorship, the Uruguayan and Argentinian regimes worked closely together to dispose of their political enemies.

Gregorio Alvarez came to power after playing a key role in a coup by the Uruguayan army in 1973. Following the coup, he was appointed commander of the country’s armed forces and dictator. He remained leader until Uruguay gained a civil government in 1985.

Mr Alvarez’ sentence comes at the end of a week in which the country’s Supreme Court declared a 1989 amnesty unconstitutional. The amnesty protected military personnel and police officers from criminal prosecution for human rights violations during the dictatorship. A referendum on the amnesty is to be held on Sunday.

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