Former Guantánamo detainees in Day 4 of protest at U.S. Embassy in Uruguay

Some former Guantánamo Bay prisoners protested for a fourth day Monday at the U.S. Embassy, saying Washington should provide them with housing and financial support because of their prolonged incarceration.

Four former detainees – a Tunisian and three Syrian men – began their protest on Friday, saying they wanted to meet with the U.S. ambassador. Photos released by the AFP-Getty Images photo agency on Monday showed them back again, and discussing their case with reporters.

As a humanitarian gesture, Uruguay’s government took in the four and two other men in December after U.S. authorities freed them from Guantánamo. They had spent 12 years at the U.S. military prison for suspected al-Qaida ties, but U.S. officials decided they were no longer a threat and let them go.

In a statement Sunday, they said they are demanding support from the U.S government because Uruguay is a poor country that has offered them a home and backing. The men get $600 (15,000 pesos) a month from Uruguay’s government which also provides a house for the six to share.

“They can’t leave their errors to other people, they should help us with houses and financial support,” the men said in the statement, referring to the U.S. government “We think that it is the least they could do” given what they called their unjust detention at Guantánamo.

The men began their protest after the embassy closed for the weekend, and U.S. officials released a statement saying people who want interviews with the ambassador must ask during normal business hours.

This story was originally published April 26, 2015 at 10:20 PM with the headline "Former Guantánamo detainees in Day 4 of protest at U.S. Embassy in Uruguay."