The Dirty War (1976-1983)

The years following Peron’s presidency were a period of political turmoil. The people had grown accustomed to the benefits his government had been providing, and the following rulers replaced the populist mentality and removed the Labor Unions, thereby upsetting the populous. In response to the government’s harsh repression of workers, angry laborers bound together and formed four different guerrilla groups. While all were intent on overthrowing the military government, each acted separately with members committing many crimes, such as kidnapping, bank robberies, and assassinations of political leaders, including one of Argentina’s many retired presidents.

In 1973, as violence between the government and the guerrilla groups raged and the economy once again fell into disrepair, Juan Peron returned as president, but his power was short lived. In 1976, Peron died and his wife replaced him as president. She was overthrown and the government became controlled by a triumvirate of military leaders, Jorge Rafael Videla commander-in-chief of the Argentine Army, Admiral Emilio Eduardo Massera, and General Orlando Agosti. The Peron’s brief spell in power briefly decreased the violence in the country because the people supported his policies. Once he and his wife were overthrown, the turmoil and violence escalated.

Prior to and immediately following the Perons demise, the military dictatorship went on a killing spree that has become known as the Dirty War. It is reported that as many as 30,000 people “disappeared” during the Dirty War, and it is likely that many of them were assassinated by The Argentine Anticommunist Alliance and anti-guerrilla units from the Argentine army. Much as in China or North Korea, anyone who was suspected to be “leftist”, against the military regime, or simply a union leader or journalist was killed or disappeared, often along with their families. But the people would not sit idly by as a near genocide occurred on their own soil. The Guerrilla Groups continued to wreak havoc against the controlling government, and others staged protests at the removal of their loved ones.
After the Falklands war, the military Junta fell from power, and the harsh control over the country was lifted. The outside world began to learn of the human rights atrocities that had occurred in Argentina, but the full extent of this terrible purge was not known until 1995, when military officers admitted to the violence they had committed or overseen.