THIRTY YEARS LATER
The historic visit of the IACHR to Argentina

Between September 6th and 20th 1979, a delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS (Organization of American States) visited Argentina. Human rights organizations and relatives of the disappeared had been making efforts since 1977 to have the Commission's presence in Argentina. As in many other efforts of international denounces, it was expected that the performance of a supranational organization would stop Human Rights violations that had been taking place since 1975.

The military government implemented different strategies to keep the truth unknown: reforms on the clandestine detention center ESMA, the transfer of prisoners to "El Silencio" (The Silence) island and the measures to refute the "Anti-Argentine campaign" under the slogan “Los argentinos somos derechos y humanos” (making a reference to polysemous nature of the word “right” in Spanish)

During the mission, the Commission interviewed many celebrities, authorities and members of civil society organizations and human rights groups. Through media, they also invited to submit a report to those people that felt that their rights were violated. During a week the Commission received 5580 complaints in several cities.

The report was approved in 1980. It clearly described the methodology and actions of State terrorism. That is why the military government only allowed the publication of its conclusions. However, the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) was able to distribute surreptitiously 500 copies of the report completely.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of that visit, we present a selection of documents and testimonial fragments that show some aspects of this important event in the history of the last military dictatorship in Argentina.

Clarification: Most part of these materials are only available in Spanish.

See the documents