Dirty War

Long ago, things were hard in Argentina.

A group of military leaders took control. They were very unfair to many people. They treated students and workers poorly.

Many people went missing during this time. These people were called the disappeared. Later, the country had new elections. This helped bring back democracy.

People worked hard to make things fair again.

From 1974 to 1983, Argentina went through a dark time.

A group of military leaders called a junta took control. They used violence to stop people they did not like. They targeted students, writers, and workers. Many people were arrested or killed. Some people were taken and never seen again. These people were called the desaparecidos, or the disappeared.

It is thought that 22,000 to 30,000 people disappeared or died. The military used secret camps to hold prisoners.

The junta called this period the National Reorganization Process. Later, the country faced big economic problems. They also lost a war over the Falkland Islands. This led to new elections in 1983.

A new leader named Raúl Alfonsín helped bring back democracy. He started a group to find out what happened. Many leaders from the junta were later put on trial. They were sent to prison for their crimes.

Between 1974 and 1983, Argentina experienced a period of state-sponsored violence.

A group of military leaders known as a junta took control of the country. They called their plan the National Reorganization Process. The junta used military and security forces to fight those they saw as threats. They wanted to silence any political opposition to their rule. This period is often called the Dirty War.

To carry out their plan, the junta used many different groups. They used the regular military and the federal police. They also used death squads like the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance, or AAA.

These groups hunted down people they believed were associated with socialism or communism. They also targeted the Montoneros movement. The government even used secret paramilitary units that acted as if they were independent. Many of these groups worked together to find and arrest people.

The history of this conflict began long before the 1976 coup.

In 1955, the military successfully took control and stopped the ideas of Juan Perón. This caused many people to resist the government. Over time, different leftist guerrilla groups like the EGP began to form. When Perón returned from exile in 1973, there was much tension. By 1974, the military and other groups were already using violence. This led to the junta taking full power in 1976.

During this time, many people were hurt or killed.

It is estimated that between 22,000 and 30,000 people were killed or disappeared. Many were called the desaparecidos because they were taken without any legal record. The junta used a network of 340 secret concentration camps to hold 12,000 prisoners.

They targeted students, journalists, and workers. Even Jewish citizens were targeted at much higher rates than their share of the population. Some victims were even thrown into the ocean during death flights.

Eventually, the military government lost its power.

Economic problems and a lost war over the Falkland Islands led to their downfall. In 1983, Raúl Alfonsín was elected as a new leader. He helped bring democracy back to Argentina. He started a group called CONADEP to investigate what happened. In 1985, the Trial of the Juntas began. Nearly 300 people were prosecuted, and many leaders were sent to prison for their crimes.

The Dirty War refers to a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1974 to 1983.

During this era, a military junta took control of the government. The junta called its governing plan the National Reorganization Process. Its main goal was to eliminate all political opposition. The military used violence to silence anyone they considered a threat to their order. This included people with socialist or communist ideas. This period remains a deeply significant chapter in Argentine history.

To enforce their control, the junta used several different forces. They relied on the military and the federal police. They also used death squads, such as the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance (AAA).

The AAA was a far-right group founded by José López Rega. The junta also used paramilitary death squads that acted as independent units.

These groups worked together to hunt down political dissidents. They targeted many different types of people to ensure total control.

Political tension in Argentina had been growing for decades. In 1955, the military took power in the Revolución Libertadora.

This event removed Juan Perón from power and banned his political ideology, Peronism. This led to resistance from workers and trade unions. By the 1960s, leftist guerrilla groups like the EGP began to form. When Perón returned from exile in 1973, tensions between political factions rose. By 1976, the military launched a coup to take full control.

The junta's methods of repression were widespread and systematic. They used a network of 340 secret concentration camps across the country.

An estimated 12,000 prisoners were held in these secret locations.

Many victims were victims of "death flights," where they were thrown into the South Atlantic Ocean. The military also used mass shootings as a method of assassination. These actions were often carried out without any legal process or public record.

The human cost of the Dirty War was immense. It is estimated that between 22,000 and 30,000 people were killed or disappeared.

These victims are often called "desaparecidos." This term refers to people who were taken and never seen again. The targets included students, journalists, writers, and trade unionists. Many Jewish citizens were also targeted. While they made up only 1% of the population, they represented 5% to 12% of the victims. The military intelligence services estimated 22,000 people had disappeared by 1978.

The military government eventually lost its grip on power. Economic collapse and public anger weakened the junta. A major turning point was the Falklands War against Britain. The military's defeat in this war forced them to step aside. In 1983, Argentina held free elections.

Raúl Alfonsín was elected president, marking the return of democracy. This transition effectively ended the period of the Dirty War.

After democracy returned, Argentina worked to find justice. President Alfonsín created CONADEP to investigate the disappearances.

In 1985, the Trial of the Juntas took place. Nearly 300 people were prosecuted for their roles in the violence. Many high-ranking officers were convicted and sentenced to prison. Although some laws later limited these trials, the Supreme Court eventually ruled those protections unconstitutional. In 2006, the government began new prosecutions for crimes against humanity.