March 24, 2026, marked the somber 50th anniversary of the Argentine junta's coup d'état, which led to unprecedented repression and the murder of 30,000 people between 1976 and 1982. March 24, known as Dia Nacional de la Memoria por la Justicia y la Verdad[3], is a public holiday in Argentina that always sees a large turnout. But on the 50th anniversary, and while the government of Javier Milei is engaging in near-total denial of the events, the mobilization was massive, bringing together up to a million people in the streets across the country, making it one of the largest demonstrations in recent years.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the military dictatorship in Argentina, the marches on March 24th brought together anarchist and communist activists, trade unionists, civil and memorial associations, opposition parties including the Peronist movement[1], and people from all walks of life, as the subject remains important in Argentine society today. Many families have lost loved ones. The primary aim is to keep alive the memory of the 30,000 disappeared, including many communist and anarchist activists, but also to continue demanding the truth about what happened. Indeed, the demands of the "Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo" movement, who began publicly protesting in 1977 to find out what had become of their children and grandchildren, remain relevant today.
Even today, the fate of some of the infants, or children born in captivity, of prisoners of the dictatorship who were abducted and placed with families supporting the junta remains unknown. Beyond this burning issue, if the work of remembrance in Argentina has been relatively successful, it is thanks to the significant struggles and incredible tenacity of various activists who never wavered, even when post-dictatorship politicians sought to bury the subject in the name of national reconciliation. Unfortunately, this memory of the dictatorship is now in danger.
Current events echo the past.
This significant mobilization takes place within the context of Javier Milei's government, which has repeatedly expressed sympathy for the dictatorship, denying or minimizing its crimes and seeking at all costs to erase all traces of its memory. He has stated on numerous occasions that the figure of 30,000 deaths is exaggerated. Its vice-president, Victoria Villaruel, who has close ties to the military, is a notorious denier of the dictatorship's crimes. The demands for truth, justice, and remembrance on March 24th are all the more crucial given the state's attempts to reverse this history.
Poster from our comrades in Argentina: "Fifty years after the coup, the dictatorship has materialized with the Milei government. In memory of our disappeared anarchist comrades and for the 30,000 victims. Our greatest tribute: to continue the fight!"
Anarchist Federation of Rosario
The question of memory remains relevant, particularly because the Milei government is implementing a policy of extreme social violence against its population. This March 24th was not only a commemoration of the dictatorship, but also an important moment of struggle to oppose the current government and its attacks on the working class.
The Trap of Co-optation
The recently passed labor law[2]further precariousizes workers and has been the source of much criticism in the streets and official discourse. Milei's deadly neoliberal policies have only increased inequality since she came to power. Her close ties to Trump and Israel have also been particularly criticized. Those protesting in Argentina are aware of the importance of fighting against both the injustices of the past and those of today. But the risk of co-optation is also present.
Indeed, numerous opposition political groups across the spectrum have been prominent during the demonstrations. While almost all of them displayed support, sometimes superficial, for the movement, they were also the first to try to exploit it. This includes Kirchnerist Peronists demanding the release of former President Cristina Kirchner, convicted of corruption, anti-Kirchnerist Peronists, and other parties seeking to co-opt the movement for the 2027 presidential election. It is crucial not to let them co-opt this struggle. The issues of historical memory are not merely debates among historians, but a fundamental element of the history of our social movement, experienced firsthand and a constant source of inspiration for today's struggles.
The strong mobilization of 2026 demonstrates that the struggle is possible in Argentina and that it must continue. Faced with the reactionary waves that constantly attack us throughout the world, both in our past and our present, we must stand united. Memory struggles are fertile ground where we can encounter people who are not particularly politically engaged but are eager to fight for these crucial issues. It is up to us to be present and to broaden these struggles. UCL congratulates our sister organizations in Argentina who have been active in the mobilizations and who continue their grassroots work to keep anarchism alive in Argentina.
Sano (UCL Marseille)
Statement from Libertarian Organizations on the occasion of March 24, 2026
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the last coup d'état, memory is not an act of nostalgia, but of struggle. The dictatorship imposed, through bloodshed and violence, a national project serving the powerful, persecuting, torturing, and making thousands of comrades disappear who were fighting to fundamentally transform society. Today, as this project takes shape in new forms under Milei's neoliberal government, remembering the 30,000 means committing to continue organizing and fighting. For the best tribute to those who gave their lives for the cause of the oppressed is to continue their struggle, for a world without exploiters or oppression!
We pay tribute to our departed anarchist comrades, especially the anarchist trade union activists and those involved in the territorial experiment of Colonia Lola (Córdoba), as well as those who belonged to Libertarian Resistance (RL) and the Uruguayan Anarchist Federation (FAU), comrades who gave their all to put anarchism at the service of social struggles and the construction of libertarian socialism.
Long live those who fight!
OAC - Organización Anarquista de Córdoba FAR - Federación Anarquista de Rosario OAT - Organización Anarquista de Tucumán ORA - Organización Resistencia Anarquista (Buenos Aires) OASC - Organización Anarquista de Santa Cruz La Tordo Negro - organización anarquista entreriana Organización Impulso Anarquista (Neuquén-Río Negro)
To validate
[1]Dominant populist political movement in Argentina since the 1950s. It could be ultraliberal, far-right or centrist, its current incarnation.
[2]"Milei always cuts work more and more", Alternative libertaire n° 370, April 2026.
[3]National Day of Remembrance for Justice and Truth.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?1976-En-Argentine-naissait-la-dictature
_________________________________________
Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten