Authoritarian regimes -ideologically inspired by the National Security Doctrine- swept across the length and breadth of South America in the geopolitical context of the Cold War. The growing mobilisation of trade unions, student unions, and peasant movements with demands for better living and working conditions, confronted conservative forces and violent parapolice and paramilitary groups.
Coup d’état in Brazil
31/3/1964
Coup d’état in Bolivia
21/8/1971
Coup d’état in Uruguay
27/6/1973
Coup d’état in Chile
11/09/1973
Meeting of the Police Forces in Buenos Aires
27/2/1974 - 4/3/1974
Russell Tribunal II
30/3/1974
The Abduction of Fuentes Alarcón and Santucho in Paraguay
16/5/1975 and 17/5/1975
Operation Condor
1975 – 1981
On 28th November 1975, representatives of the regimes of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay met in Santiago (Chile), where they established the so-called “Condor System” or Operation Condor. Operation Condor reproduced the same range of human rights violations carried out by dictatorships within their borders but strengthening transnational clandestine actions to commit the crimes.
The Foundation of Operation Condor
28/11/1975
Coup d’état in Argentina
24/3/1976
Operations against the PVP in Argentina
9/6/1976 - 7/10/1976
Assassination of Orlando Letelier
21/9/1976
Detention of Montoneros in Uruguay
16/11/1977 al 18/12/1977
The countries which had participated in Operation Condor’s repressive coordination eventually returned to democracy. The democratic transition reinvigorated the demands for answers regarding the crimes against humanity committed under dictatorship. Today, the search for truth and justice continues for the crimes that the repressive forces committed against individuals and groups and the alliances that the totalitarian governments formed with businesses and powerful actors to strengthen their corruption.