MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: Leftwing terrorism victims' event sparks reaction from human rights groups

Congresswoman Villarruel has long pressed for the reopening of the statute-barred crimes of Montoneros and ERP

Human rights organizations in Argentina Sunday expressed their rejection of Libertarian Congresswoman and Vice-Presidential candidate Victoria Villarruel offering a “tribute” on Monday to the victims of terrorism in the 1970s at the Buenos Aires City Legislature.

 In 2006 Villarruel founded the Center for Legal Studies on Terrorism and its Victims (CELTYV) in reaction to the fact that the crimes committed by the People's Revolutionary Army (ERP, ultra-left communist) and Montoneros (left-wing Peronist) remain unpunished to this day. Both organizations operated during the 1970s and were targets of State terrorism during the last Argentine military dictatorship (1976-1983).

During the event, relatives of people killed by the rebel groups are scheduled to tell their versions of history. Human rights organizations regard this gathering as a vindication of State terrorism. “The only terrorism was State terrorism,” they argued while recalling the 30,000 victims of the “genocide” perpetrated by the military dictatorship. The organizations also described the call as a “provocation” that “not only denies and falsifies the historical truth but also offends the collective memory,” particularly ahead of the Oct. 22 elections.

“They do not want the truth to be known, because the left is tyranny turned into ideology, but we are going to honor our dead,” Javier Milei's running mate posted Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Socialist presidential hopeful Myriam Bregman argued that Villarruel's “only point of this is to provoke” and insisted that the rightwing candidate and daughter of a military officer herself “used to visit” people convicted of genocide in jail. “Now she wants to visit the legislature to tell about it?” Bregman insisted on X.

Human rights, political, and trade union organizations called for a march and other actions to try to cancel Villarruel's activity.

Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line, the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH), and the Argentine League for Human Rights together with other organizations called for a march at 4.30 pm before the Buenos Aires Legislature.

“We say that there were not two demons and the only terrorism was the one carried out by the genocidal State. We demand that all necessary measures be taken to prevent this provocation from materializing; which not only denies and falsifies the historical truth but also offends the collective memory,” read a communiqué endorsed by several such organizations.

“We extend our repudiation not only to the organizers of the act but also to the authorities of the Legislature who allow such an offense to the historical memory in a key place of democracy as it is a Legislative Palace,” Mothers of Plaza de Mayo added.

As a lawyer, Villarruel has long pressed for the reopening of the statute-barred crimes of Montoneros and ERP, in order for which they would have to be deemed crimes against humanity.