Jorge Pacheco Areco

Jorge Pacheco Areco was elected president of Uruguay in the 1966 general election, taking office in 1967. He succeeded the National Council of Government and was a member of the Colorado Party.

Pacheco Areco implemented a price and wage freeze to combat inflation. The policy temporarily stabilized prices but led to labor unrest and strikes, which were met with government repression.

Pacheco Areco declared a state of emergency in June 1968, suspending civil liberties and imposing censorship on the press. The measure was aimed at curbing strikes and leftist activism, but it also suppressed political opposition.

Pacheco Areco banned the Tupamaros (National Liberation Movement) as an illegal organization. The group had engaged in bank robberies and kidnappings, and the ban escalated the conflict between the government and leftist guerrillas.