Argentina: history, economy, and culture

CONADEP

In 1976, life changed dramatically in Argentina. On March 24, 1976, a military coup took place. In an attempt to wipe out all dissenting opinion, they began a campaign of terror where thousands of people literally disappeared. The testimonies of the survivors of torture and kidnapping are brutal to read. The methods used to torture them; including electrical prods and live burials left lasting scars, both physical and mental on these survivors. The patterns in these testimonies are all the same. The torturers were sadistic and brutal, and would stop at nothing to get the information they wanted. They tortured loved ones in front of their family members, they took whole families from their homes, and they killed thousands with no remorse.

The patterns are patterns of extreme violence, and the violence seems to stem from fear. They feared the recriminations of the left-wing dissidents, they feared their reaction to their dictatorship, and so, they tried to remove all those who disagreed with their administration and its methods. They used violence to gain their hold on the administration, so it makes sense they would use violence and fear to hold on to their power. They were trying to find out information about other dissidents and those who might oppose the government. The torturers themselves were often drunk, laughing and joking with each other, and they used the most inhumane methods. One survivor wrote, "These practices were carried out in a diabolical setting; the torturers, some drinking, others laughing, hitting and insulting, tried to extract from me the names of Uruguayans living in Argentina who opposed the current regime governing my country" (Editors). It has been said that when such severe methods are used, the victims will often say anything to stop the torture, so the methods may not work the way the torturers think they will. They may get information, but it could be just what the torturers want to hear, and have nothing to do with the truth.

The administration used terror to maintain control over the people. As the word spread about the disappearances and torture, more people kept to themselves and stopped demonstrating, and that is exactly what the administration wanted. The most serious accusations are those of the people who disappeared without a trace. One military official testified that officers put people on cargo planes or helicopters, took them out to sea, and dumped them into the ocean. The victims were heavily drugged and had no idea what awaited them. This pattern of violence and disregard for human life is frightening, and it continued until the coup was overthrown in 1983. That things like this could go on in modern times is frightening, but even more frightening is the fact that so few of the perpetrators have faced even a trial, let alone prison time. It is as if the government is just trying to sweep what happened under the rug and that people will forget.

Another pattern in the tortures and disappearances is how they affected the victims. They all say they have lasting memories of the events, and that they left lasting mental scars along with the physical scars. It is difficult to forget the things that happened to them, and difficult to comprehend that one human would do those things to another human. Another victim writes, "All at once there was a single piercing, heart-rending shriek. It still resounds in my ears. I will never be able to forget it. It was his last cry; and then suddenly there was silence" (Editors). Many of the victims are extremely bitter that more has not bee done to punish those who perpetrated these crimes.

If there was any logic to the behavior of the torturers, it was certainly twisted logic. Many who have confessed to participating in the torture and murders have expressed regret. It seems at least some of them feared for their own lives, and did what they were told in an effort to save themselves from similar fates. However, at least some of them seemed to enjoy the activities, which is even more frightening to comprehend. The report states that most of the participants said they were "following orders," a common plea after a military order that is controversial is undertaken. They may have been following orders, but they had to know what they were doing was wrong, and they did it anyway. They may have been in fear of reprisals, to both them and their families, if they spoke out, but there is no way they could not know their behavior was horrible. It is kind of a mob mentality, where the majority rule because of fear and intimidation, and that seems to be the case here.