On Mandela's Visit to Argentina Servicio Paz y Justicia
Buenos Aires, July 23, 1998 The Peace and Justice Service (Servicio Paz y Justicia) welcomes the visit of South African President Nelson Mandela to Argentina. The Peace and Justice Service (SERPAJ) was founded in 1974 by 1980 Peace Nobel Laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel. SERPAJ is very interested in the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. We want to emphasize the importance of truth and justice in the process of democracy building. After making much progress towards justice, e.g. the 1985 trial against the military junta, Argentina later opened the door to impunity with several amnesty laws and decree. Thus those responsible for gross human rights violations avoided trial and have since walked free on the streets along with their fallen victims. We ask President Mandela to put in his agenda with Argentine President Menem the question of human rights and we also ask President Mandela to investigate the role played by the Argentine military at the end of the 1970s in South Africa. One example of this is Jorge Enrique Perren, a Navy Officer, who kidnaped, killed and tortured persons in Argentina between March 24, 1976 (date of the last Coup d'etat) and 1978 (the dictatorship continued until December 1983). He then went to South Africa where he stayed from October 1979 to February 1982. Officially, he was a "student" at the Marine (Navy) War School in Muyzenberg, suburbs of Cape Town and was living in Bergvliet, 60 Children's Way. At least two others Navy Officers were together with him at that time. To know what they really did there is important for the truth, in SouthA frica and in Argentina. Servicio Paz y Justicia, SERPAJ, Piedras 730, (1070) Buenos Aires, Argentina. Phone/fax 54-1-361.5745, email: serpaj@serpaj.wamani.apc.org
Este
documento es publicado en la internet por Derechos Human Rights