MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: The Skyvan is “a symbol of the recovery of rights,” Massa says

VP Cristina Fernández and Presidential hopeful Sergio Massa took center stage at the event marking the aircraft's arrival back to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery

Argentine Economy Minister and presidential hopeful Sergio Massa Monday said the arrival back in the country of the former Coast Guard British-built Shorts Skyvan PA-51 aircraft used in the 1970s for the infamous death flights was “a symbol of the recovery of rights.”

Massa appeared alongside acting President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who was technically in charge of the Executive due to President Alberto Fernández's trip to Brazil.

Massa insisted Monday that “for a generation raised in a democracy there is nothing more important than the defense of the democratic value based on memory, truth, and justice” to be able to “limit all those who want to overthrow rights in Argentina”.

The Minister also underlined that the return of the aircraft to be exhibited at a museum meant “a symbol of the recovery of individual rights in Argentina”.

“It serves to make visible the idea that in Argentina there must be the Never Again”, Massa assured.

In a recorded message, President Fernández also highlighted the idea of “giving value to memory, to continue preaching the values of truth and justice.”

In a campaign tone, CFK argued that “in order to win you have to bet” and pointed out that “a unity list was necessary.” She also stressed that had the Unión por la Patria political space decided to enter the Open, Simultaneous and Mandatory Primary (PASO) elections without a unity list, she would have endorsed Interior Minister Wado De Pedro's candidacy, not Massa's.

CFK also pointed at the opposition, considering that “the idea of denialism, violence in politics as a mechanism for conflict resolution recalls the darkest past of Argentina”. “By bringing the plane we are contributing to the memory, to prevent the demolition of the Argentina of rights,” she insisted.

Also attending the ceremony at Buenos Aires' Jorge Newbery airport were Human Rights Secretary Horacio Pietragalla; Cabinet Chief Agustín Rossi, Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof; Defense Minister Jorge Taiana, and De Pedro, in addition to human rights activists Estela de Carlotto and “Tati” Almeida, among others.