Alberto Mechoso

Alberto Cecilio Mechoso Méndez (November 1, 1936 – September 26, 1976) was an Uruguayan anarchist who played a significant role in his country's political movements. Born in Las Flores Department, he later moved to Montevideo, where he became politically active. He joined the Uruguayan Anarchist Federation (FAU) and its armed wing, the Popular Revolutionary Organization-33 (OPR 33). Additionally, he was involved in labor unions, including the Federation of Meat Industry Workers and the National Workers' Convention.

In 1972, Mechoso was arrested and tortured after being caught in a hotel. He escaped later that year and fled to Buenos Aires under a fake identity to avoid persecution. In Argentina, he co-founded the People's Victory Party (PVP) in 1975.

Mechoso's life took a tragic turn when he was captured during a joint Argentine-Uruguayan operation in Buenos Aires. He was taken with his son and subjected to further torture. His family was threatened and deported back to Uruguay, while his home was ransacked for funds linked to the PVP. Mechoso remained in Argentina and was eventually murdered. His body, along with seven others, was placed in a fuel drum filled with concrete and dumped into the San Fernando Canal near the Luján River. The remains were later buried in the San Fernando municipal cemetery.

In 1989, the bodies were exhumed by forensic experts, and in 2012, Mechoso's remains were identified. They were returned to Uruguay for a funeral attended by President José Mujica.