The last argentine civic-military dictatorship and the protection of laotian political refugees in Mendoza (1979-1984)

The clashes that culminated in the rise of communist governments in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in the mid-1970s, together with a deep food crisis as a result of climatic, war and political factors, caused a large population displacement to nearby countries and settlement camps were established. very precarious refugees in Thailand protected by the United Nations (UN). In July 1979, the UN Secretary General made a request to the international community to assist the refugees and displaced persons in Southeast Asia. The Argentine government, which at that time was governed by a civic-military regime, offered the admission of 1,000 families. In this way, the military junta tried to improve its international image and in turn accepted refugees ideologically in tune with the army, since they were fleeing communist governments in Asia. Between October and November 1979, 25 families arrived in Mendoza and were assisted by the Ecumenical Committee for Social Action (CEAS). This article describes the vicissitudes of one of the least studied exile communities in Argentina. We focus on the assistance carried out by CEAS and the failure of social integration due to the scarce state aid that finally caused that, in a few years, 22 families remigrated.