• by IPS Correspondents (rome)
• Tuesday, November 08, 1994
• Inter Press Service

ROME, Nov 08 (IPS) - A climate favourable to human rights violations such as occurred during Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship is returning to the South American country, a reknowned group of human rights activists denounced Tuesday in Italy.

Hebe de Bonafini, president of the Argentine Association of Mothers of the 'Plaza de Mayo', made up of some 2,000 women whose children were "disappeared" and killed under the de facto regime spoke to a press conference in the International Lelio Basso Association.

"The danger comes from recent statements by President Carlos Menem, who by defending members of the military implicated in kidnapping and torture cases leaves the way open to police and military forces for a return of political repression," said Bonafini.

Recent statements made by Menem praising the role of the armed forces against "subversives" during the so-called "dirty war" sparked a heated controversy in Argentina.

The President's statements, criticised by numerous politicians and union representatives, got him expelled from the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (PAHR) on Saturday.

Menem justified his praise of the military arguing that "enormous interests" exist - including drug trafficking - which are attempting to "bring subversion back to Argentina."

The PAHR called his statements unacceptable, pointing out that thousands of people, among them numerous children, disappeared during the dictatorship.

The president of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo had been detained during the de facto regime and has recently been charged with libel for having verbally attacked Menem on television.

Bonafini pointed to the cases of two members of the military - Juan Carlos Rolon and Antonio Pernias - who were promoted "despite their having admitted responsibility for several politically-motivated murders.

"Menem defended them, which was criticised by his own party in parliament. This is serious, because it is a sign that representatives of the dictatorship are returning to important posts."

She said there is a "sinister connection" between several recent events in Argentina, such as "the creation of a special vice-ministry of safety, Menem's praises of the Isabel Peron Anti- Communist Alliance of Argentina and an increase in recent cases of politically-motivated disappearances."

"There is a possibility of (the return of) an authoritarian government under Menem, backed by military men who were involved in the coup or the de facto regime."

"We have a file in which we have collected 3,000 names," she said, pointing out how the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo are subjected to threats and assaults whenever they seek to investigate the pasts of members of military and police forces.

Bonafini and Mercedes Merofio, another of the group's leaders, met on Tuesday with the Mayor of Rome, Francesco Rutelli.

On Wednesday they will meet privately in Brussels with the president of the European Parliament, Klaus Hansh, to whom they will repeat their denunciations.

And on Friday they will talk in Rome with Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, and possibly with Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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