In the summer of 2022, a camping trip among friends in the Iporá
resort in Tacuarembó ended in tragedy. In the early hours of February 20, a group of high school friends was camping on a farm owned by the young man who is now charged. The group was celebrating the end of their high school years and the imminent start of university studies they would pursue in Montevideo.
During the celebration, beer flowed, and on one of the trips to the nearby property to bring more drinks, the owner’s son returned with a nitro-powered air rifle. From some bushes, he shot at his friends, and one of the pellets struck Facundo Cuadrado, 18, in the heart.
The injured was hospitalized in critical condition. He was diagnosed with brain death and ultimately passed away on March 26, shortly after a month from the incident.
The case mobilized the Tacuarembó community and went through scandalous stages. In this context, the family of the deceased filed a complaint in April 2022 about delaying tactics and expressed suspicion regarding the unexpected health issues that prevented the defendant, who was under house arrest, from testifying.
After two changes in the charges, one year after the events, the Tacuarembó Prosecutor’s Office of 2nd shift, led by Mabel Brites, presented the accusation against the accused young man — whose identity was not disclosed — and requested 12 years of effective imprisonment for homicide.
Among the evidence presented was a WhatsApp conversation in which the defendant’s mother offered money to witnesses in the case. Regarding this, the defendant’s family stated that the conversations were intended to reach a “reparatory agreement”.
This week, two and a half years after the tragic episode, judicial proceedings began in the city of Tacuarembó. Yesterday, local journalist Marcos Pereira reported that the hearings for presenting arguments and witness testimonies were starting. On his Facebook page, Pereira shared an eloquent image: attorney Karen Pintos, representing the Cuadrado family, entering the courthouse with a weapon similar to the one used by the defendant to shoot at Facundo.
This Tuesday, presentations and statements aiming to clarify the delayed case will continue.