70 years on, Argentine court declares ‘Operation Massacre’ a crime against humanity
The victims’ families testified in court for the first time: "We want justice served. Even though their killers are no longer here, I want the truth known.”
Seventy years after the fact, an Argentine court has declared that the 1956 executions known as "Operation Massacre" were crimes against humanity. On June 22, Judge Alicia Vence ruled that the highest authorities of the General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu and Admiral Isaac Francisco Rojas-led dictatorship were responsible for the operation.
The court ordered reparations for the victims' families, including restoring their names and honor, publishing the judgment in national and provincial gazettes, integrating historical facts into educational programs, creating commemorative plaques, and establishing a memorial site at the José León Suárez landfill.
The victims' families were present in court for the first time, with Berta Carranza, the daughter of executed Nicolás Carranza, demanding justice. The 1955 dictatorship was a brutal regime that overthrew Perón, outlawed Peronism, seized control of trade unions, and imprisoned tens of thousands of activists. The night of June 9, 1956, began with a group of men at a house in Greater Buenos Aires, listening to a boxing match on the radio.
However, armed men raided the premises, arresting all men present, regardless of their connection to the plot. Five were executed, and seven survived, with one, Juan Carlos Livraga, going on to make the story public. Journalist Rodolfo Walsh initially doubted the story's authenticity but dedicated himself to investigating the incident, ultimately publishing his findings in Operation Massacre.
Written by urgent.news from Global Voices Argentina's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
