Dictatorship-era army officers and supporters rally in Argentina in latest sign of political shift

Former Military Officers Rally in Argentina, Testing National Consensus on Dictatorship

Former military officers and their families gathered in Buenos Aires on Saturday to demand the release of colleagues imprisoned for human rights abuses during Argentina’s 1976-1983 dictatorship, marking a rare public display of support for the junta’s legacy.

The demonstration took place in Plaza de Mayo, a symbolically charged location known for decades of protests by the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo—women who circled the square demanding information about children abducted during the military rule. The choice of venue was viewed by many as a deliberate provocation against Argentina’s longstanding “Nunca Más” (Never Again) commitment to reject authoritarianism.

As the rally unfolded, dozens of counter-protesters also converged on the plaza, separated by police cordons. The dueling demonstrations highlighted growing tensions over how Argentina should reckon with its violent past.

“We demand the moral vindication of all the veterans,” said rally organizer Maria Asuncion Benedit, whose late husband, an army captain, participated in a 1975 campaign against guerrillas in Tucuman province. Protesters wore black bandanas—a pointed counterstatement to the white kerchiefs traditionally worn by the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo.

The rally reflects a shift in Argentina’s political climate under right-wing President Javier Milei, who has frequently characterized the dictatorship’s violence as part of a necessary struggle against leftist insurgents. His administration has departed significantly from previous governments’ approaches to human rights and historical memory.

Vice President Victoria Villarruel, daughter of an Argentine lieutenant colonel, has long advocated for recognizing what she calls “other victims” of terrorism—armed forces personnel and civilians killed by left-wing guerrillas. This framing has angered human rights groups who see it as an attempt to legitimize the systematic extrajudicial killings that led to an estimated 30,000 disappearances during the dictatorship.

Milei further stirred controversy last week by appointing Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Carlos Alberto Presti as Argentina’s new defense minister. According to the president’s office, Presti becomes the first military official to hold a ministerial position since Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983, a move described as “putting an end to the demonization of our officers.”

Among Saturday’s protesters was Pedro Nieto, a dictatorship-era veteran who traveled 36 hours from northern Salta province to attend. “We are proud to have fought and eliminated the terrorists,” he stated bluntly, echoing sentiments that many Argentinians find deeply troubling.

Counter-protesters expressed horror at the public rehabilitation of dictatorship participants. Alejandro Perez, whose uncle was disappeared during military rule, said it terrified him to see veterans who participated in state repression “protected by police, protected by fences, being able to hold an event to demand the release of the few imprisoned genocidal criminals.”

Unlike other Latin American nations that implemented amnesty for military crimes after transitions to democracy, Argentina has prosecuted over a thousand army officials for their roles in state terror, with many serving life sentences. Hundreds more await trial.

This policy of accountability now appears threatened. The United Nations Committee Against Torture recently expressed concern about the Milei administration’s dismantling of programs investigating military actions during the dictatorship and budget cuts to institutions working on “memory, truth and justice.” The report also noted a lack of transparency regarding reparations to dictatorship victims.

Milei, a radical libertarian elected in late 2023, has prioritized fiscal austerity through dramatic cuts to government spending. However, even as health and education budgets shrink, his administration has committed to increasing military funding.

When addressing the UN torture committee earlier this month, Alberto Baños, Milei’s top human rights official, disputed the report’s findings and claimed the government remained committed to “complete, unbiased and unobtrusive historical memory.” He added provocatively: “Whether you like it or not, the defense of human rights became a business, and we will not tolerate that.”

For many Argentinians, Saturday’s competing demonstrations represent more than a disagreement about the past—they signal a fundamental contest over national identity and values that had seemed settled for decades after the return to democracy.