The Argentine “Dirty War” By Alli Akagi and Kate McGillem

What Was “The Dirty War”? Period of government-sponsored violence, lasting from , in which thousands of Argentine citizens were systematically imprisoned, tortured, and/or “disappeared.” Carried out by the military dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, “for the good of the country.” Also known as “La Guerra Sucia,” “The National Reorganization Process” (or simply “El Proceso,” according to the government), and most recently declared a “genocide” in 2006, during the trial and sentencing of former police officer Miguel Osvaldo Etchecolatz, guilty of committing crimes against humanity.

Implications of the term “Dirty War” Many human rights organizations object to this “misnomer,” or euphemism, because it falsely accredits the validity of a “civil war,” and implies “that the casualities were more likely to come from the ranks of two real armies than those of noncombatants” (Andersen 2). In reality, most of the military’s enemies were citizens that the government deemed “ideological subversives”-- roughly 50% of victims were union organizers and workers. Others were “teachers, professors, students, factory workers, members of the press, lawyers, artists, musicians, authors, psychologists, people committed to helping the poor and disenfranchised, people who simply had a different, more liberal point of view” (Barry).

The Real Guerrilla Fighters Ironically, by the time the “Dirty War” began in 1976, most of the actual guerrilla groups [the Argentine Liberation Front, the ERP (People’s Liberation Party), and Montoneros] had already been weakened by the government through the AAA (the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance.)

Events Leading up to the “Dirty War” History of political instability: from , all of Argentina’s presidents were overthrown by the military. In 1946, Juan Domingo Perón was elected president. Perón admired by members of both the right and left wings; supported the “working man”; elected to a second term.

Argentina Under Perón A “caudillo”-type leader, Perón’s beliefs were anti- Marxist and pro-military. Heavily supported by labor unions and the army. Eventually the “regime deviated from its stated goals, and its corruption, assaults on the church, and failed economic policies” led Perón to exile in 1955 (Barry). Between 1955 and 1973, Argentina had 10 different governments; frequent changes were due to the mounting frustration over the continued failures of economic policies. The political gap between the left and right wings (workers/labor unions vs. Catholic church, military, conservative forces) continued to widen.

Perón Returns Perón eventually returned from exile in 1972, reclaims the Argentine presidency in His VP was his 3rd wife, Isabel Perón, who takes over after her husband’s death in 1974; Isabel elected because political factions couldn’t agree on anyone else. Without experience, Isabel is a weak leader. Economy spirals downward; inflation near 200%. Isabel eventually overthrown by military coup, led by Jorge Rafael Videla in 1976.

The Videla Regime and the Start of the “Dirty War” With Isabel imprisoned and the Supreme Court and Congress closed down, Videla’s bureaucratic-authoritarian regime instituted a plan that would allegedly remedy the country’s economic and political problems, called the “Statute for the Process of National Organization,” or “El Proceso” -- i.e., the “Dirty War.” This statute paved the way for the abduction, torture, and murder of thousands of Argentine citizens -- in addition to victims from other Latin American dictatorships (namely Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Uruguay) who were brought to Argentina to be tortured or killed through Operation Condor (with the knowledge and cooperation of the US and Italian governments.)

A Time of Torture, Murder, and Disappearance 340 secret torture centers, called LRDs (Lugares de Reunión de Detenidos) throughout Argentina. As many as 1300 military personnel were involved in the administration of torture; used nicknames like “the rat” or “the doctor” to disguise their identities. Victims detained and tortured “for the good of the country.” The word desaparecido is a “sad tribute to the efficiency with which the generals kidnapped and tortured their victims, then made them vanish without a trace” (Andersen 2).

Torture Practices “The Truth Machine” -- electric torture often used on mouth and genitals Pulling toenails and fingernails off with tweezers Beating with fists and billy clubs Firing squads/mock firing squads Mutilation with razor blades Torturing children in front of parents Rape and torment of pregnant women. “Fish food” -- inject with panavoral to induce heart attack, heave unconscious victims into the ocean Any other technique used to humiliate, demoralize, and debilitate victims in order to break down resistance or gain information.

Presence of Torture in Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman After Molina is released and killed, Valentin is subjected to torture and interrogation, inflicted with third-degree burns to the groin, starvation, etc. ( ). Novel first published in the United States in 1979, during the height of the Dirty War.

End of the “Dirty War” In 1982, General Leopoldo Fortunado Galtieri invaded the British controlled Faulkland Islands (las Islas Malvinas) in a last attempt to boost the patriotic spirits of the Argentine people. The junta, overconfident in their military abilities, was quickly defeated by Britain under Margaret Thatcher, who reclaimed the islands; Galtieri promptly resigned on June 17. After the loss of the war, the military regime lost power in Argentina. The junta government was replaced by de facto President Reynaldo Bignone from

The Estimated Cost of the “Dirty War” According to the 1984 Nunca Más report issued by CONADEP (National Comission on the Disappearance of Persons), 9000 people were “disappeared” between ; 458 assassinations are recorded. Many human rights organizations estimate that the number of victims is closer to 30,000. Over 500 children were abducted and given to the families of military officers (Barry); this statistic does not include babies born to mothers in prison. (The 1985 film The Official Story addresses this issue.) As of 2001, the identities of 73 adopted children have been confirmed.

Aftermath of the “Dirty War” Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo -- formed in Every Thursday afternoon, mothers and grandmothers of missing “Dirty War” victims continue to gather in front of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires to protest and demand justice for their loved ones. Release of CIA documents in 2002 confirmed the US State Department’s knowledge of human rights violations (under Kissinger, during Carter presidency.)

Amnesty Laws and Investigations Democratically elected President Raúl Alfonsín created CONADEP (National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons) in issued the Nunca Más report. Also in 1983, Congress passed the Ley de Punto Final and the Ley de Obediencia Debida, which granted amnesty to those involved in torture; overturned in 2005 by the Supreme Court. In 1990, President Carlos Menem pardoned Videla and other high-ranking military officers. National controversy -- pragmatic appeasement or unconstitutional and unjust? Videla received a prison sentence in 1998 for falsifying the identities and documents of 11 “stolen babies.”

Bibliography Andersen, Martin Edwin. Dossier Secreto: Argentina’s Desaparecidos and the Myth of the “Dirty War.” Boulder: Westview Press, Barry, Anne J. Argentina: The Dirty War, The Disappeared, The Mothers and The Grandmothers. Holyoke Community College. 15 April “Dirty War.” Wikipedia. 15 April Hodges, Donald Clark. Argentina, Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, Argentina’s “Dirty War”: An Intellectual Biography. Austin: University of Texas Press, Lewis, Paul H. Guerillas and Generals: The “Dirty War” in Argentina. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002.