Commemorating the last military dictatorship in Argentina

March 24, 1976 was the date of the military coup in Argentina that brought to power what would prove to be the most brutal and murderous of the South American military dictatorships. It lasted until 1983, when the military junta, badly discredited by its crimes and by the loss of the war in its ill-fated 1982 attempt to retake the Malvinas/Falkland Islands from Britain by force, cede power to a constitutional and democratic government.

The 26th anniversary of that dark occasion was commemorated by marches and speeches in Argentina on Saturday. The marches also provided an occasion for highlighting present-day political concerns. The left groups that don't identify completely with Cristina Ferández' government and her kirchnerismo politics took the opportunity to protest Argentina's current antiterrorism law, which they argue allows the government to criminalize legitimate protests. Students marched to emphasize the need for adequately funded, accessible education. (Laura Vales, Una marcha desde otro lugar Página 12 25.03.2012)

This is a video from Cristina's office (La casa rosada) on the anniversary (Spanish), 24 de marzo. 36º aniversario del golpe cívico - militar de 1976. Memoria, Justicia y Verdad 23.03.2012:



This is a Spanish report on the anniversary commemoration from TV Publica Argentina, Visión Siete: A 36 años del golpe: "Los grupos económicos también fueron la dictadura" 24.03.2012:



The following text accompanies the report:

Los organismos de Derechos Humanos aseguraron que "los grupos económicos también fueron la dictadura" y exigieron el "juicio y castigo para quienes orquestaron y financiaron el golpe de (Jorge Rafael) Videla", al difundir el documento final durante el multitudinario acto desarrollado en Plaza de Mayo en ocasión del Día Nacional de la Memoria, Verdad y Justicia. Tras la multitudinaria marcha los representantes de las distintas organizaciones expresaron a metros de Casa de Gobierno que "36 años atrás aquí se orquestaba el terror", en contraposición con un gobierno "como el de ahora, que marcó un antes y un después". Emitido por Visión Siete, noticiero de la TV Pública argentina, el sabado 25 marzo de 2012.

[My translation: Human rights organizations declared the "economic groups were also the dictatorship"and demanded the "prosecution and punishment of those who orchestrated and funded the coup of (Jorge Rafael) Videla", in the dissemination of the final document during the multi-faceted action that unfolded in the Plaza de Mayo {in front of the Presidential palace, the Casa Rosada} on the occasion of the National Day of Memory, Truth and Justice. After the heavily-attended march, the representatives of the various organizations expressed, meters away from the House of Government that "36 years ago, the terror was orchestrated from here" {the state terror of the dictatorship}, in contradistinction to a government "like that of today, which observes a before and and after". Report by Visión Siete, the news service of Argentine Public TV, Saturday March 25 2012.]

Victoria Ginzberg also reports on that aspect of the demonstrations in Con el eje en el poder económico Página 12 25.03.2012

All parties in the Congress in a special session approved a declaration for the occasion urging the judiciary to move expeditiously to prosecute and resolve cases of human rights violations from the period of the dictatorship. (Miguel Jorquera, Con una exhortación a acelerar los juicios Página 12 25.03.2012)

Alejandra Dandan reports on a memorial observance for Rodolfo Walsh (1927-1977), (Espacio por la Memoria y Derechos Humanos Página 12 26.03.2012) Walsh was a journalist and writer who published an open letter to the military junta on the first anniversary of their taking power. The letter circulated clandestinely in Argentina. Walsh himself pulled a gun and shot it out with a group of soldiers sent to capture him, and was shot to death in the encounter. His letter indicted the junta for its kidnappings, murders and torture. It also thematized the backing of the junta by major business interests and how it used an exaggerated threat of subversion and terrorism to impose Chicago School anti-labor policies that drastically reduced incomes on the people of Argentina.

Tags: argentina, rodolfo walsh