Alberto Mechoso Méndez

Alberto Cecilio Mechoso Méndez (1 November 1936 – 26 September 1976) was an Uruguayan anarchist, who disappeared in Buenos Aires, Argentina during Operation Condor.

Biography

Early life and political activities Mechoso was born in the Flores Department. Later, his family moved to La Teja, Montevideo, where he became interested in politics. He joined the Uruguayan Anarchist Federation (FAU) and its armed wing the Popular Revolutionary Organization-33 (OPR 33). He was also a union member in the Federation of Meat Industry Workers and the National Workers' Convention. On 6 August 1972, Mechoso was arrested in a hotel and tortured in captivity. He escaped on 21 November and earned the nickname "grandpa" due to drastic weight loss and greying hair. He left Uruguay for Buenos Aires using a fake identity to evade the police. In Argentina, he helped found the People's Victory Party (PVP) in 1975.