MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine gov't releases “full history” video highlighting pre-coup terrorism in the 1970s

“History must be told in full or it becomes an instrument of political manipulation,” Milei's Government argued

The Argentine Government of President Javier Milei Monday released a video on social media saying March 24, 2025, should be the “Day of Complete Memory” on the 49th anniversary of the Military Junta uprising headed by Lieutenant General Jorge Rafel Videla, marking the beginning of the self-appointed National Reorganization Process which ended up in the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War and a return to democratic rule the following year.

The National Memory, Truth, and Justice Holiday has been capitalized on since its inception by leftwing groups denouncing the mass disappearances and tortures under the military regime. But this time around, Milei's Libertarian Administration also focuses on previous deadly acts of violence committed by leftwing terrorist organizations.

La historia no es solo aquello que nos cuentan sino todo lo que nos atrevemos a descubrir.

Este Día de la Memoria, defendemos la libertad de conocer nuestra historia. Completa. pic.twitter.com/7uZp9eCR4i

— Casa Rosada (@CasaRosada) March 24, 2025

The 19-minute documentary narrated by Libertarian thinker Agustín Laje, calls for a “complete” historical narrative. It acknowledges state crimes during the 1976–1983 dictatorship but also emphasizes violence by armed groups like Montoneros and ERP, questioning the focus on 30,000 disappeared and rejecting a “single demon” theory. Laje argues that omitting pre-coup violence and guerrilla actions distorts history for political purposes, noting illegal repression started under the democratic government of María Estela Martínez de Perón (Isabelita).

The release echoed a similar 2024 video featuring journalist and former Intelligence Chief Juan Bautista Yofre and others. Milei’s “Complete Memory” stance has stirred controversy for contrasting with the traditional narrative upheld by human rights organizations, who are critical of Milei and Vice-President Victoria Villarruel, whom they accuse of denialism.

The video, produced by Casa Rosada’s communication team, aligns with the ruling party’s “cultural battle” and was shared widely, sparking debate amid the day’s commemorative events.

“This Memory Day, we defend the freedom to know our history. In full,” the new video stresses. “History is not only what we are told but everything we dare to discover. This Memory Day, we defend the freedom to know our history. Complete,” Casa Rosada said on X.

“The promoters of the single demon theory have denied the existence of a war in Argentina in the 70s. To do so, they have accused those who describe what happened in that period as a warlike conflict of trying to justify the horrors committed by the Armed Forces. However, the reality is exactly the opposite. Those who have denied the revolutionary war have done so with the purpose of erasing from history the horrors committed by the terrorist organizations and to eliminate their victims from the collective memory,” the documentary insisted.

”History must be told in full or it becomes an instrument of political manipulation. There is no such thing as a half-truth. The omission of what is necessary is as serious as the affirmation of error. If they erased from history the atrocities of the terrorist organizations, they also took care to hide the fact that the illegal methods of state repression began during the democratic government prior to March 24, 1976,″ it further noted.