On December 9, 1985, under President Raúl Alfonsín, the Trial of the Juntas concluded. Over eight months, the trial gathered testimonies and evidence to convict the perpetrators of Argentina's last military dictatorship, which lasted from March 1976 to December 1983.
The Federal Court in Buenos Aires ruled that the Juntas had planned an "illegal repressive system," aggravated by "a large number of crimes of illegal deprivation of liberty, application of torture, and homicides." The judges also ordered the prosecution of all individuals responsible for the criminal acts proven by the testimony of dozens of witnesses. As a result, key figures of the military dictatorship, including Jorge Rafael Videla and Emilio Eduardo Massera, were convicted.
The trial was the cornerstone of Argentine justice. According to Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, had this trial not taken place, there could have been "revenge by guerrillas against military personnel or left-wing people," which would have led to a return of political violence and another coup d'état.
The judges who participated in the process expressed pride in their role in this historic event, which was a milestone not only for Latin America but for the world. They noted that the task was extremely complex and uncertain, but it allowed historical memory to be built on truth, as embodied in the verdict.
"It is undeniable that these events occurred. Who denies that there were kidnappings, tortures, rapes, and deaths? Such barbarity is impossible to deny," one of the judges emphasized.
Subsequently, Generals Leopoldo Galtieri, Armando Lambruschini, Lami Dozo, and Anaya were acquitted.
Currently, some politicians are advocating for an anti-negationist law, but the judges involved in the process consider this a "grave error," as it would be an "attempt to adulterate history."
