Page 19 - Argentina - Carter, Regan, and Bush VP

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OP IMMED /ROUTINE
UTS083
BE RUESBA #7776/1 2701915
0 R 261841Z SEP 80
FM AMSMSASSY BUENOS AIRES

TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6907

INFO AMEMBASSY LIMA 3683

CONFIDENTIAL

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 1 OF 7 BUENOS AIRES 7776
E.O. 12065: N/A
TAGS: AH, SHUM
SUBJECT: DRAFT HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT FOR ARGENTINA
REFs STATE 224684
FOLLOWING IS DRAFT ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
FOR ARGENTINA: 11 ..............—•
BEGIN TEXT:
OVER THE PAST TWENTY-FIVE TEARS ARGENTINA HAS PASSED THROUGH
SEVERAL CYCLES OF ALTERNATING CIVILIAN AND MILITARY RULE j
SINCE 1955, THERE HAVE BEEN SIX MILITARY AND SIX CIVILIAN
PRESIDENTS. BEGINNING IN 1969, VIOLENCE MOUNTED PROGRESSIVELY
FROM THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT AS GROUPS WITH WIDELY DIFFERENT i/J
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES AND CONCEPTIONS STRUGGLED FOR POWER. 0
AS A RESULT, BOTH CIVILIAN AND MILITARY GOVERNMENT HAVE H «
MAINTAINED A "STATE OF SIEGE" FOR SOME NINE OF THE PAST TEN
i T7>
YEARS. AT THE HEIGHT OF THIS VIOLENCE IN 1975-1976, TERRORISM Q i a
HAD TAKEN ON BROAD DIMENSIONS: BOMBINGS, ROBBERIES,
KIDNAPPINGS AND ASSASSINATIONS FOR POLITICAL REASONS WERE cS-j "r
w‘8 9
COMMON OCCURRENCES. ORGANIZED TERRORIST GROUPS ON BOTH 3
SIDES OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM NUMBERED SOME 5,000-6,000 33J
PERSONS, WITH SYMPATHIZERS ESTIMATED AT AN ADDITIONAL Q
15,000. Q1
BY 1976 THE SITUATION IN ARGENTINA HAD DETERIORATED ■'V
SHARPLY. COURTS AND POLITICAL LEADERS WERE BEING INTIMI­ U"j\ S'
DATED* INFLATION APPROACHED 800 PERCENT AND MANY ESSENTIAL 'C!
PUBLIC SERVICES HAD BEEN DISRUPTED. AT THIS POINT, THE
ARMED FORCES AGAIN TOOK CONTROL OF THE STATE, WITH THE
AVOWED GOALS OF PROMOTING ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND ENDING
TERRORISM AND CORRUPTION. THEY PROMISED THAT DEMOCRACY
WOULD ULTIMATELY 3E RESTORED. THE ARMED FORCES MAINTAINED
THE STATE OF SIEGE IMPOSED IN 1974 BY PRESIDENT MARIA
at**#*'#****#***# *vhsr COMMENT ###**#>!«##*#*#**

EOB:MOLAND,THORN

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