Court ruling guarantees the operation of memory sites and prevents their closures

In the midst of the different activities that demanded layoffs and policies to empty the spaces of memory and human rightslike the Haroldo Conti Cultural Center, Justice determined to guarantee the operation of four former clandestine detention centerswhich are currently open to the public to learn about the crimes of the last civil-military dictatorship.

The ruling was issued by the National Criminal and Federal Correctional Court No. 1by the judge Ariel Lijowho gave rise to a judicial initiative by the Buenos Aires legislator Victoria Montenegro to guarantee the availability of workers and the opening of activities in the former clandestine centers that operated in the Navy Mechanics School (ESMA), Olimpo, Club Atlético, Automotores Orletti and Virrey Cevallos.

The magistrate understood that the Human Rights Secretariat was not adhering to the Law No. 26691 on Memory Sites which guarantees “the preservation of all Sites for the purposes of facilitating judicial investigations, as well as for the memory preservation of what happened during state terrorism in our country”.

In his ruling, Judge Lijo urges the Government to “carry out the maintenance tasks, conservation, preservation of the building and daily cleaning – necessary for visits – and of the roofs and gutters to avoid flooding that could damage the spaces”, in addition to “preserving the collections and archives that have been generated to date and continuing to carry out the research tasks and pedagogical coordination”.

Secretary of Human Rights denied the closure of the exESMA

In dialogue with Scopethe Secretary of Human Rights, Alberto Baños, denied that the Government is going to close the exESMA Memory Spaceas denounced by the president of Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, Carlotto’s Stele. He also dismissed ATE’s accusations about a dismantling of public policies in the area.

In December there were layoffs in the Secretariat headed by Baños and the closure, he says, temporarily, of the Haroldo Conti Cultural Memory Center, located in the former ESMA, was announced. After these announcements, Carlotto warned last Friday that the government of Javier Milei “wants to close the exESMA”. Bathrooms he flatly denied it.

“lie. In fact, we are bringing other units to the property. CIPDH (International Center for the Promotion of Human Rights) and Conadi (National Commission for the Right to Identity), for example. Soon even the minister himself will be on site,” Baños assured.

Another episode that generated massive repudiation was announcement of the “closure” of the Haroldo Conti Cultural Center. The message was sent to the workers by WhatsApp on December 31 at noon. In it, he spoke of “an adequate internal restructuring, reassembly of work teams and analysis of next year’s programming.” The Association of State Workers (ATE) reported that it is seeking its definitive closure.

In dialogue with this medium, Bathrooms assured that, in reality, It is a “cessation” to carry out a restructuring. “You couldn’t do all that with people at the door. The union entering the buildings,” he considered, adding: “What it’s about here is that they don’t understand that some things have changed after so much time of abuse.”