Clipped Wings

Alfonsin takes on the military

Peering over his half-moon reading glasses during a hastily arranged television broadcast, Argentina's newly elected President, Raul Alfonsin, last week made the most dramatic announcement of his young administration. In the dry tones of a country lawyer, Alfonsin told his nationwide audience that he was sending to Congress a measure pressing charges of murder and torture against the leaders of three military juntas that waged the antiterrorist "dirty war" of the 1970s. During that period, at least 6,000 Argentine citizens disappeared. "The past casts a shadow over our future," he declared. "Utterly aberrant violations of rights that are the essence of human dignity cannot be left unpunished."

Alfonsin named nine generals and admirals, including three former Presidents: General Jorge Videla, who presided over the early days of the dirty war; General Roberto Viola, Videla's successor; and General Leopoldo Galtieri, author of the doomed attempt to capture the Falkland Islands last year. Alfonsin's decree called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which includes high-ranking officers from all three services, to pass "summary judgment" on the accused officers. Alfonsin announced that seven left-wing terrorists active during the '70s would be tried by civil courts. He also fulfilled one of his most emotional campaign pledges: repeal of the so-called amnesty law proclaimed by the outgoing junta to absolve the armed forces of their murderous excesses. At week's end Alfonsin appointed a 16-member commission to investigate the charges against the generals and admirals.

There was no public reaction from the military, which in any case is too demoralized for the moment to interfere. Most other Argentines, meantime, have greeted the news with subdued satisfaction, even though the eventual sentences are not likely to be anything more severe than a year in jail and loss of pensions. As Human Rights Activist Emilio Mignone puts it: "The country is not looking for blood. There has been enough suffering."

Alfonsin apparently has other plans to clip the military's wings. Reports circulating in Buenos Aires have it that in a new budget to be presented to Congress in February, allocations to the military will be reduced from 37% of the national budget to 12% or 13%, a saving of $1.5 billion. If the new President has his way, the generals will stay in the barracks and out of politics. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.