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Argentina Marks 50 Years Since Coup With Mass Rallies and Archive Release

The turnout highlights a deep fight over the dictatorship’s legacy under President Javier Milei.

People rally with puppets depicting members of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo human rights group on the anniversary of the military coup that brought the military regime to power, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Demonstrators rally with a portrait of Hebe de Bonafini, a late member of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo human rights group, on the anniversary of the military coup that brought the military regime to power, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A man walks past a painting depicting Argentina's national soccer team players Lionel Messi, center, Julian Alvarez, left, and Rodrigo De Paul near a banner reading in Spanish, "Let’s defend the homeland by marching for the 30,000" referring to a number people disappeared during the military dictatorship, on the anniversary of the military coup that brought the military regime to power, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Overview

  • Crowds in the tens of thousands converged on Buenos AiresPlaza de Mayo on Tuesday, with marches nationwide to mark the 1976 military takeover.
  • President Javier Milei’s administration questioned long‑cited disappearance totals and reframed the memorial day to include guerrilla victims, releasing a video with testimonies from a recovered abductee and the son of a kidnapped officer.
  • Argentine officials last week posted nearly 500 pages of declassified intelligence records that detail surveillance of unions, universities, businesses and news outlets, giving researchers and courts new evidence to examine.
  • The Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo led the march and pressed the search for stolen children, with about 500 taken during the dictatorship and 140 identities restored so far.
  • Human rights groups said budget cuts and staff dismissals in the downgraded Human Rights Secretariat have slowed archive work and efforts to locate remains, as long‑running cases alleging corporate complicity continue and firms such as Mercedes‑Benz reject the claims.