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Memoria Abierta

Av. Corrientes 2560 2 E
(C1046AAQ) Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Argentina

Tel: (54-11) 4951-3559
Fax: (54-11) 4951-4870

South American Sites of Conscience Community

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What Happened Here?

From 1930 to 1980, the Argentine Armed Forces seized power dozens of times. During this period, only two democratically-elected presidents were able to complete their terms.

The cruelest of those military governments took place between 1976 and 1983. The Military Junta instituted State terrorism as a broad and systematic tactic of social repression. Terror was employed in various ways. The cruelest was the forced disappearance of people, which had two phases: first, the violent kidnapping of an individual or a family; and then, the official denial of the detention or kidnapping.

Terror also extended to the cultural sphere. Censorship was exercised through all kinds of prohibitions: the burning of books and threats against journalists and writers were means for destroying political literature and limiting criticism. This caused cultural, social and political damage that persists even today.

Family members of the victims and human rights organizations continue to work so that those responsible for these crimes against humanity will be brought to justice.