Jorge Rafael Videla: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:33, 17 April 2005

Revision as of 09:38, 15 May 2005

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==Human Rights Violations==

The military junta came to power during a period of extreme instability, with terrorist attacks from the [[Marxism|Marxist]] groups [[Montoneros]] and the [[ERP]] and violent [[right-wing politics|right-wing]] responses occurring regularly. Under Videla, the Argentine military was given absolute power to arrest, detain, torture, and even kill suspected terrorists and political opponents. As a result, massive human rights violations occurred, some of the worst in South American history. Up to 30,000 Argentineans are estimated to have been killed, several more were detained and tortured, and 500,000 went into exile. All legislative power was concentrated in the hands of a 9-man commission of junta members, and every single important position in the national government was filled with loyal military officers. The junta quickly banned labor unions, strikes, abolished the judiciary, and effectively removed civil liberties.

In addition to direct abuses by the military, [[far-right]] [[paramilitary]] groups, particularly the [[Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance]] (AAA), carried out widespread atrocities, given free reign by the new military government.