Uruguay · Justice
Published Saturday, 7 November, 5:20 a.m. ET · Source: Uruguay’s Defence Ministry, Army and Presidency statements
Three Uruguayan soldiers died on a night training swim, and the Army’s own report on what went wrong is now in the hands of a prosecutor.
Uruguay’s Army report on the deaths of three soldiers in a diving course reached the prosecutor in Fray Bentos on Friday, 6 November 2026. Prosecutor Guillermina Chouhy received the document through the Prosecutor General’s office, which had it from the Defence Ministry.
The three men died during a night swim on the Uruguay River. The report is meant to show how the exercise was planned and authorised and how the emergency was handled.
Key Facts
- Deaths. Ensign (alférez) Matías Vasella and corporals Carlos Leandro Gómez and Juan Rocha died in an Army diving course.
- Where. The exercise took place on the Uruguay River off Fray Bentos, in the Río Negro department.
- Report. The Army’s urgent report went to Prosecutor Guillermina Chouhy on 6 November.
- Survivor. One soldier was rescued alive and is recovering in Montevideo’s Military Hospital.
- Next. The prosecutor will study the document in the coming days as the investigation continues.
- Power Index. Uruguay ranks 7th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 45.2 points (November 2026 edition).
What Happened on the River
The deaths occurred in a night exercise at the end of October 2026, during the Army’s Tactical Divers Course No. 64, a training course for soldiers who specialise in diving. It was a night swim on the Uruguay River off Fray Bentos, in the Río Negro department.
Army chief General Mario Stevenazzi has said that the group was tied to one rope and that some soldiers stayed under water. The cause is still to be determined.
One soldier was pulled out alive. The other three were lost in the river and later found dead.
In Plain English
Tactical divers are soldiers trained for swimming, diving and operations in water. In this exercise the group was tied to one rope, which was cut when some men became entangled.
A “fiscal” in Uruguay is a public prosecutor. Fiscales lead criminal investigations.
Two Investigations, One Set of Questions
The Army opened an internal “urgent” administrative inquiry right after the deaths. Its aim was to establish how the exercise was planned and authorised, what safety conditions were foreseen and how the emergency response unfolded.
Stevenazzi received the finished report, which is to go to Defence Minister Sandra Lazo so she can weigh whether any responsibilities require action. The same document reached the prosecutor through the ministry, and the criminal inquiry runs separately from the Army’s own review.
Chouhy, the Fray Bentos prosecutor, will analyse the document in the coming days while the investigation continues. The prosecutor’s investigation of the deaths continues.
A Country in Mourning
The government declared official national mourning for 3 and 4 November, with flags at half-mast on all public buildings, barracks, air bases and warships. The decree was signed by President Yamandú Orsi and Minister Lazo.
The Río Negro departmental government also declared local mourning. Second Lieutenant Braian Ruiz, the only survivor, has left intensive care and is on an ordinary ward of the Military Hospital in Montevideo.
What It Means for You
For readers who follow Uruguay as a stable base for living or investing, the case shows two processes running in parallel. The military and the prosecutors are examining the same events through separate channels.
Families of the dead and the public will look for two things in the coming weeks. One is whether the report finds failures in planning or safety, and the other is whether the prosecutor sees grounds for criminal responsibility.
What Is Not Known
The contents of the Army report are not public, and the cause of the sinking has not been established. It is not known when the prosecutor will decide whether anyone is to be charged.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the Uruguayan soldiers in Fray Bentos?
Three soldiers died during a night swim in a tactical divers course on the Uruguay River at the end of October 2026. One other soldier was rescued alive.
Who is investigating the deaths?
The Army ran an urgent internal inquiry, and prosecutor Guillermina Chouhy now has its report. The prosecutor’s own investigation continues.
Has anyone been charged?
Not as far as we know. The prosecutor will study the report in the coming days.
Sources: Uruguay’s National Army (ejercito.mil.uy); Presidency decree of national mourning for 3 and 4 November 2026; statements of the Army commander; Defence Ministry and prosecutor’s office, 6 November 2026. Background: Uruguay news.
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