Argentina to Investigate Former Dictatorship’s Economic Ties

Argentina to Investigate Former Dictatorship’s Economic Ties

teleSUR | September 24, 2015

Argentina’s Parliament approved Wednesday by a wide majority the launch of an investigation into economic complicity by civilians during the country’s last military dictatorship.
The aim of the investigation is to determine how businesses and people participated in the crimes committed by the dictatorship, which disappeared thousands of people.
The bill passed with 170 votes against 14. The main party opposing the bill so far has been the Republican Proposal party (PRO), who’s presidential hopeful Mauricio Macri – currently the Mayor of Buenos Aires – is the leading opposition candidate, trailing behind the government party’s candidate Daniel Scioli.
The bill will now have to be approved by the Senate, which is largely dominated by the governing Front for Victory, which backs the proposal.
Once approved, a Congressional Commission of Truth, Memory, Justice, Reparation and Strengthening of Democratic Institutions will be created, which will have judicial powers to investigate and charge individuals.
According to the text of the bill, the investigations will target people who cooperated with or who benefited from their ties to the dictatorship.
The lawmakers that voted against the bill did not provide any explanation for their decision.
Apart from determining individual responsibilities, the Congressional commission would have to publish a report at the end of its investigations which would explain the economic consequences of the dictatorship and how State-sponsored terrorism helped particular businesses.
PRO’s negative vote could be linked to its repercussions on Argentina’s two main newspapers, El Clarin and La Nacion. Both have been repeatedly singled out for their ties to the military dictatorship, with which they created a paper-import company Papel Prensa S.A.
Through their joint venture with the dictatorship, the newspapers would have obtained preferential prices on paper fees and would have manipulated the market to drive competitors out.