When is Truth and Justice Memorial Day?
The Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice (Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia) is a public holiday in Argentina always held on March 24th.
It commemorates those who 'disappeared' under the military junta that came to power in 1976.
History of Truth and Justice Memorial Day
This Argentinian public holiday is held on March 24th, the anniversary of the coup d'état of 1976 that overthrew President Isabel Peron and brought the National Reorganization Process to power. It was this that started the period known as the Dirty War.
The Dirty War was a period of state terrorism aimed at left-wing guerrillas, political groups, and socialists.
Victims of the violence included left-wing activists and militants, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers.
While nearly 10,000 people are known to have 'disappeared' under the junta, the true number may have been much higher as so many documents and records were destroyed by the military.
The period lasted until 1983 when democratic elections were held to install a new president.
The commemoration was sanctioned as Law 25633 by the Argentine National Congress on August 1st 2002, and promulgated by the Executive Branch on August 22nd of the same year. However, it was not implemented as a public national holiday until 2006.
The day is marked by peaceful rallies and marches by those who lost loved ones during the dirty war.
