Global VoicesJul 19, 20260 viewsCC BY 3.0

Seventy years on, Argentine court declares 'Operation Massacre' a crime against humanity

In 1956, during the "Revolución Libertadora" dictatorship in Argentina, 12 men were arrested in a Buenos Aires suburb under the suspicion of plotting against the government; five were later executed at a landfill in José León Suárez.
Journalist Rodolfo Walsh investigated the event, uncovering that the executions were unlawful, and published his findings in the foundational non-fiction work, Operation Massacre (1957).
Seventy years later, Argentine Judge Alicia Vence declared the event a crime against humanity, noting that the perpetrators—had they been alive—would have faced life imprisonment.
The ruling orders formal reparations, including the restoration of the victims' reputations and the creation of a memorial site at the execution grounds.

The 1955 coup d'état overthrew President Juan Domingo Perón, leading to a military regime under General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu that outlawed Peronism.
The arrests occurred on June 9, 1956, amid a failed uprising attempt by military officials. The victims were rounded up without charge, despite many having no connection to the coup.
Five men were killed: Nicolás Carranza, Francisco Garibotti, Carlos Alberto Lizaso, Mario Brión, and Vicente Rodríguez.

Rodolfo Walsh, initially skeptical, was spurred to action by the claim that "there’s an executed man who lives." He tracked down survivors and proved that the executions occurred before martial law was officially declared.
Survivor Juan Carlos Livraga, who survived the shooting at 24, served as a key witness for seven decades.
The court ruling validates the long-standing efforts of the families, who operated independently of major human rights organizations, to achieve "Truth, Memory, and Justice."

Global VoicesJul 19, 20260 viewsCC BY 3.0

In 1956, during the "Revolución Libertadora" dictatorship in Argentina, 12 men were arrested in a Buenos Aires suburb under the suspicion of plotting against the government; five were later executed at a landfill in José León Suárez.
Journalist Rodolfo Walsh investigated the event, uncovering that the executions were unlawful, and published his findings in the foundational non-fiction work, Operation Massacre (1957).
Seventy years later, Argentine Judge Alicia Vence declared the event a crime against humanity, noting that the perpetrators—had they been alive—would have faced life imprisonment.
The ruling orders formal reparations, including the restoration of the victims' reputations and the creation of a memorial site at the execution grounds.

The 1955 coup d'état overthrew President Juan Domingo Perón, leading to a military regime under General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu that outlawed Peronism.
The arrests occurred on June 9, 1956, amid a failed uprising attempt by military officials. The victims were rounded up without charge, despite many having no connection to the coup.
Five men were killed: Nicolás Carranza, Francisco Garibotti, Carlos Alberto Lizaso, Mario Brión, and Vicente Rodríguez.

Rodolfo Walsh, initially skeptical, was spurred to action by the claim that "there’s an executed man who lives." He tracked down survivors and proved that the executions occurred before martial law was officially declared.
Survivor Juan Carlos Livraga, who survived the shooting at 24, served as a key witness for seven decades.
The court ruling validates the long-standing efforts of the families, who operated independently of major human rights organizations, to achieve "Truth, Memory, and Justice."

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