Jorge Rafael Videla, a former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a “dirty war” dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87.
When the head of Argentina's military junta General Leopold Galtieri deployed military forces in the Falkland Islands, Britain assembled a task force to sail to the South Atlantic, to the astonishment of people in Britain, and the rest of the world.
A Franciscan friar tortured and killed by Argentina’s last civil-military dictatorship, could become the first religious leader to be beatified by Pope Francis according to a piece in the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, came on stage to once again question the Government of President Cristina Fernandez. In an interview with the Spanish media, the dictator said that in case the Kirchnerites try to “perpetuate in power, the armed and security forces along with the people will prevent it.”
In his first public Mass, Pope Francis urged the Catholic Church on Thursday to stick to its roots and shun modern temptations, warning that it would become just a compassionate NGO if it forgot its true mission.
An Argentine federal court handed down life sentences on Dec. 19 to former Buenos Aires province interior minister Jaime Smart (1976-1979), former Buenos Aires province police investigations director Miguel Osvaldo Etchecolatz and 14 former police and military personnel for genocide and crimes against humanity in the cases of 280 people detained during the 1976-1983 “dirty war” against suspected leftists.
The Rear Admiral who headed the landing and invasion of the Argentine forces in the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982 died over the weekend. Carlos Büsser was under house arrest for his alleged participation in crimes against humanity during the last military dictatorship although he was never convicted.
Argentine former military dictator said he kept the country’s Catholic hierarchy informed about his regime’s policy of “disappearing” political opponents, and that Catholic leaders offered advice on how to “manage” the policy.
An Argentine court has sentenced former dictator General Jorge Videla to 50 years in jail for stealing babies from political prisoners. There were also heavy penalties for other military officers involved in the practice.
By John J. Metzler (*) At the time of the 1982 invasion, Argentina was run by a military junta who unwisely played the nationalism card and seized the islands 300 miles off the coast of South America.