Argentina’s left-wing human rights organizations condemn Security Minister Patricia Bullrich’s decision to move convicted dictatorship-era repressors, including Alfredo Astiz, to a privileged detention center, calling it a step toward impunity.

Related:

IMF Shows Its Claws in Argentina, Backing Milei’s Far-Right Agenda, Which May Deepen the Current Social Crisis

Argentina’s Security Minister Patricia Bullrich has sparked outrage among human rights groups by ordering the transfer of Alfredo Astiz and other convicted repressors from the notorious last military dictatorship to Unit 34, a so-called “VIP prison” located in the military base of Campo de Mayo. This decision has been strongly condemned by a coalition of human rights organizations, who argue that it undermines justice for the 30,000 disappeared during the dictatorship and grants undue privileges to perpetrators of genocide.

Unit 34 is known for its relatively comfortable conditions, including tennis courts, walking trails, gyms, and even televisions in some cells, a stark contrast to standard penitentiary facilities. Astiz, nicknamed the “Angel of Death” for his role in torture and disappearances, along with other repressors, has requested individual cells and continued access to Skype to communicate with family, privileges they already enjoyed at Ezeiza prison. Human rights advocates emphasize that such treatment is unacceptable for those convicted of crimes against humanity, calling for their sentences to be served in regular prisons without special treatment.

Comunicado del Directorio de organismos de derechos humanos de la ex ESMAhttps://t.co/YHTivzPZTU

— H.I.J.O.S. Capital (@hijos_capital) May 1, 2025

The text reads:Statement from the Board of Human Rights Organizations of the former ESMA

The Board of Human Rights Organizations, which includes groups such as the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line and the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights, has urged judicial authorities to ensure that sentences for crimes against humanity are fully enforced without reduction or privilege. They denounce the transfer as part of a broader pattern under Javier Milei’s government, which has shown complicity with the dictatorship’s legacy by minimizing recognition of the disappeared and delaying funding for memorial workers. Activists warn that the move to a VIP prison risks further impunity for genocide perpetrators and dishonors the memory of victims.

This decision by the Argentine government represents a profound setback for justice and memory in the country’s ongoing reckoning with its past state terrorism. Left-wing human rights organizations remain vigilant in their fight to uphold accountability and resist any attempts to soften the consequences for those responsible for the darkest chapter in Argentina’s history.

IN THIS ARTICLE