ARGENTINA-ARMY Argentine army chief resigns from post amid cloud of abuse allegations

Record ID: 152052

  • Title: ARGENTINA-ARMY Argentine army chief resigns from post amid cloud of abuse allegations
  • Date: 24th June 2015
  • Summary: MILANI SINGING ARGENTINE NATIONAL ANTHEM
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADFZSZ4JMHGQF2XT17J1LHNS07
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Controversial Argentine Army Chief Cesar Milani resigned from his post on Tuesday (June 23), citing 'strictly personal reasons' as the motive following a career that has been dogged by allegations of human rights violations.
    News of the 60-year-old's retirement comes as the Lieutenant General faces ongoing accusations from human rights groups for his alleged role in the kidnapping and disappearance of soldier Alberto Ledo during the country's 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
    President Cristina Fernandez, who appointed Milani to the head of the country's army in 2013, has consistently dismissed the claims and voiced support for the former soldier.
    Nora Cortinas, a founder of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo activist group who search for those who disappeared during the country's Dirty War, said Milani's resignation was late coming.
    "It should have happened before (the resignation). Secondly, and it shouldn't have happened (his resignation) because the president should have never named him army chief because it was an offence to the people because they knew when he was named that he had committed crimes against humanity. Also, forced disappearances is a crime of crimes; let the world understand this. It's when a person has been deprived of all their rights, and so have their families and the community too (has been deprived of its rights), because my son is disappeared but he is part of my family and part of the community. He was an activist who wanted the best for Argentina, just like the 30,000 and everyone else who were imprisoned and exiled," said Cortinas.
    Rights groups say up to 30,000 people "disappeared" - a euphemism for kidnapped and murdered - during the Argentine dictatorship, which began in March 1976 when former army commander Jorge Videla and two other military leaders staged a coup against President Maria Estela Martinez de Peron, the widow of former leader Juan Domingo Peron.
    Since 2005, following the repeal of two amnesty laws shielding military offers from prosecution for their Dirty War crimes, Argentine activists have sought to prosecute those suspected of human rights violations.
    But lawmaker and human rights activist, Myriem Bregman said obtaining justice has been an uphill battle.
    "Milani was army chief all these years. It is evident that this was a huge obstacle to moving (human rights) cases forward which is why we said that he should be thrown out of the army and brought to court to be judged. I think that now we need a strong campaign to speak out against him so that justice moves forward. Argentine justice hasn't demonstrated that it has advanced on its own in all these years, rather for each one of those cases of genocide to be condemned required a lot of (social) mobilisation and a lot of activism," she said.
    Milani's resignation comes just months before presidential elections are due in October. Outgoing Fernandez is unable to run for office but her Front for Victory Party is hoping to remain in office and keep up the Fernandez-Kirchner legacy.
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