Nixon Official Asked Uruguay to Threaten Rebels
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President Richard Nixon’s administration suggested that Uruguayan leaders try to prevent the impending murder of a kidnapped U.S. official by threatening to kill members of the insurgent group responsible for the abduction, according to newly declassified cables.
Daniel Mitrione, a director for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Uruguay, was found dead Aug. 10, 1970 after being kidnapped by Tupamaros guerrillas. The group, whose members included current Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, accused Mitrione of training police in torture and had been demanding the release of imprisoned rebels.