Infamous 'Dirty War' detention centre becomes human rights memorial in Argentina

Record ID: 1434108

  • Title: Infamous 'Dirty War' detention centre becomes human rights memorial in Argentina
  • Date: 29th September 2019
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DETAINEE DURING DIRTY WAR ERA, IRIS AVELLANEDA, SAYING: "I was in 'El Campito' for 15 days, where I was tortured day and night. I had lost (movement) in my mouth. I was tortured everywhere, in intimate areas, my underarms, in sensitive areas. My breasts were burnt. I had another child and I couldn't breast-feed." SOLDIERS ON DUTY NEAR WHERE ARGENTINES ARE MARCHING ARGENTINES MARCHING TO DETENTION CENTRE VARIOUS OF BUILDINGS USED AS DETENTION CENTRE INTERIOR OF BUILDINGS USED AS DETENTION CENTRE BADGE WITH PHOTO OF DIRTY WAR ERA VICTIM VARIOUS INTERIOR OF BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 13th October 2019 23:18
  • Keywords: Argentina Dirty War dictatorship Buenos Aires memorial human rights
  • Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
  • City: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA003AYPNXVR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL ORIGINALLY 4:3
    An infamous detention centre used for torture during Argentina's 1976-1983 Dirty War opened to the public on Sunday (September 29) as a human rights memorial, to remember the thousands killed and forcibly disappeared in the Latin American nation era of military rule.
    'El Campito' was used as a secret detention centre within the Campo de Mayo military school in Buenos Aires. Some reports estimate that 3,000 political prisoners passed through the grounds of El Campito, a large number tortured and beaten to death.
    The memorial contains no reconstruction of scenes from the era, with much of its interior left untouched. Organisers of the memorial and those visiting on Sunday told Reuters the place's history speaks for itself and holds stark lessons for today.
    Human rights groups say Argentina's military government killed 30,000 people. Most of them disappeared and their bodies were never found.
    (Production: Miguel Lo Bianco, Claudia Martini)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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