Thousands of people marched through Buenos Aires on Tuesday to commemorate 50 years since the 1976 military coup that led to one of Latin America's most brutal dictatorships. The protest, under the slogan 'Memory, Truth and Justice', was called by human rights organisations, labour unions, student groups, social movements and political parties.
An estimated 30,000 people were 'disappeared' by the regime, according to human rights groups, though official figures put the number at around 8,000. A truth commission has attributed the majority of violence during that period to state security forces. Among those marching was 60-year-old housemaid Elsa Britos, who said: 'Today is a special day. I joined the protest to fight, and to fight with hope.'
Argentina's ultraliberal President Javier Milei has taken a different stance, insisting that commemorations should also include victims of guerrilla attacks. On Tuesday, he shared a quote from Russian activist Garry Kasparov, and the presidency released a video titled 'Day of Remembrance for Justice and the Full Truth', featuring testimonies from a woman taken as a baby during the dictatorship and the son of a colonel kidnapped by guerrillas.
The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, founded in 1977, has worked to locate children taken during the dictatorship. An estimated 500 babies born in captivity were illegally adopted by military families; around 140 have since been identified. After democracy returned in 1983, the state prosecuted those responsible but showed less commitment to locating victims' remains, hindered by the military's refusal to provide information.
Milei's rise to power in 2023 has further complicated efforts to recover remains. As part of his austerity plan, he has downgraded the Human Rights Secretariat, cut its budget and laid off staff. Technical teams working on archive analysis were dismissed, accused of political bias and of persecuting former military personnel.
