Inside Story Americas - Argentina: Paying for the sins of the past
- 12 years ago
Two former leaders during Argentina's military rule, Jorge Videla and Reynaldo Bignone, have been found guilty of overseeing the systematic theft of babies from political prisoners. The case concerned 34 of the more than 400 babies stolen from parents while they were held in detention centres.
There is also the question of the US's key role in supporting a continent wide campaign of political repression and terror, but should American politicians and officials be formally held to account for their actions?
And what can other Latin American countries learn from Argentina's punitive approach?
Videla assumed power in the military coup of 1976 and ruled the country for five years. He consolidated the position of the right-wing regime by commencing what is known as the dirty war, in which between 10,000 to 30,000 of the dictatorship's political opponents were killed.
There is also the question of the US's key role in supporting a continent wide campaign of political repression and terror, but should American politicians and officials be formally held to account for their actions?
And what can other Latin American countries learn from Argentina's punitive approach?
Videla assumed power in the military coup of 1976 and ruled the country for five years. He consolidated the position of the right-wing regime by commencing what is known as the dirty war, in which between 10,000 to 30,000 of the dictatorship's political opponents were killed.