WorldMozaic - Former Female Guerrilla Named as Uruguay's Vice President
Former guerrilla Lucia Topolansky was officially named Uruguay's first female vice-president.
Senator who is also the wife of former President Jose Mujica took over the post after the resignation of the previous vice-president, Jose Sendic, amid allegations of corruption.
Like her husband, Topolansky is a former of left-wing guerrilla. She had escaped from prison, served a sentence of 13 years and suffered various acts of torture.
Since 2005, Uruguay has been led by left-leaning party Frente Amplio, which emphasizes policy on various areas of social welfare.
By the law, the former vice president should be replaced by the most elected senator in newest elections.
The post should fall into the hands of Jose Mujica, the former president, who is worlwide known to have given most of his salary and dubbed the 'poorest president in the world.'
However, Mujica did not qualify because by law that is prohibiting former president re-occupying the position in the palace.
Therefore the next senator with most vote advanced as vice president, who happened to be the Mujica's wife .
Topolansky will also lead the Senate and the general assembly of the Uruguayan congress.
Mujica and Topolansky were involved in an armed rebellion in Uruguay, known as the Tupamaro movement, in the 1960s and 1970s.
Topolansky came from an upper-class family, but she left her established life to join the rebellion. Her nickname is 'La Tronca' or 'Trunk of the Trees' or 'Strong' because for its toughness in prison.
She is one of the 38 political prisoners escaped from the political prisoners of Carcel Cabildo, a women's prison with tight security, in 1971.
It was said that those female prisoners had to crawled through the dirt and smoke from inside the waste pipes for 45 minutes, until they reached another tunnel created by their comrades outside the prison, who then took them to a hiding place.
However, a few months later Topolansky was arrested again, and held for years in solitary confinement.
Topolansky did not say much about her past as a militant, but she revealed that she was involved in armed robbery and for years it was rumored that she was one of the main shooters in the rebel group.
However, her supporters describe th2 72-year-old woman as a good and active Uruguayan MP.
Former guerrilla Lucia Topolansky was officially named Uruguay's first female vice-president.
Senator who is also the wife of former President Jose Mujica took over the post after the resignation of the previous vice-president, Jose Sendic, amid allegations of corruption.
Like her husband, Topolansky is a former of left-wing guerrilla. She had escaped from prison, served a sentence of 13 years and suffered various acts of torture.
Since 2005, Uruguay has been led by left-leaning party Frente Amplio, which emphasizes policy on various areas of social welfare.
By the law, the former vice president should be replaced by the most elected senator in newest elections.
The post should fall into the hands of Jose Mujica, the former president, who is worlwide known to have given most of his salary and dubbed the 'poorest president in the world.'
However, Mujica did not qualify because by law that is prohibiting former president re-occupying the position in the palace.
Therefore the next senator with most vote advanced as vice president, who happened to be the Mujica's wife .
Topolansky will also lead the Senate and the general assembly of the Uruguayan congress.
Mujica and Topolansky were involved in an armed rebellion in Uruguay, known as the Tupamaro movement, in the 1960s and 1970s.
Topolansky came from an upper-class family, but she left her established life to join the rebellion. Her nickname is 'La Tronca' or 'Trunk of the Trees' or 'Strong' because for its toughness in prison.
She is one of the 38 political prisoners escaped from the political prisoners of Carcel Cabildo, a women's prison with tight security, in 1971.
It was said that those female prisoners had to crawled through the dirt and smoke from inside the waste pipes for 45 minutes, until they reached another tunnel created by their comrades outside the prison, who then took them to a hiding place.
However, a few months later Topolansky was arrested again, and held for years in solitary confinement.
Topolansky did not say much about her past as a militant, but she revealed that she was involved in armed robbery and for years it was rumored that she was one of the main shooters in the rebel group.
However, her supporters describe th2 72-year-old woman as a good and active Uruguayan MP.