Victims' Associations, State Terrorism and Politics in Argentina from 1973 to 1987

Between 1976 and 1983, Argentina was governed by a military dictatorship that instituted a repressive system. It was particularly unusual because of its violence and economic, political, social and cultural effects on the long term on Argentine society. This article goes through this historical process again, but with a broader perspective to explain the human rights movement that emerged as the principal, and almost only, opposition to the authoritarian regime. The point of view chosen considers a political process in the long term, including the years before the coup of 1976, and a brief period of time after democracy was re-established in 1983. It makes it possible not only to understand some fundamental characteristics of the humanitarian movement of these years - protagonist of the Argentine public sphere until today, but also to reflect on important historical problems and the way research touches the subject.