Trelew massacre
Encyclopedia
The Trelew Massacre was the retaliatory government killing of 16 militants of different Peronist and left organizations held as political prisoners in Rawson
Penitentiary. The prisoners were recaptured after an escape attempt and subsequently shot down by marines led by Lieutenant Commander Luis Emilio Sosa in a simulated new attempt to escape. The marines forced the prisoners to fake a new escape, then executed them as revenge by the dictatorship for the successful escape of some of their comrades during the initial prison break. The massacre
took place on the morning of 22 August 1972 in the Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport, an airbase of the Argentine Navy
near the city of Trelew
, Chubut
in Patagonia
.
in Argentina. Only six of the 110 inmates (members of the People's Revolutionary Army
(ERP), Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and Montoneros
) succeeded.
The planner and head of the operation was Mario Roberto Santucho
, leader of the Revolutionary Workers Party, although some reports say that Marcos Osatinsky (FAR) had started to plan the escape even before the arrival of Santucho the prison.
These two leaders along with Fernando Vaca Narvaja, Roberto Quieto, Enrique Gorriarán Merlo
and Domingo Menna made up the so-called Leakage Committee, and were the only ones able to escape, thanks to a waiting Ford Falcon
, and get to Trelew airport where a BAC One-Eleven
airliner Southern Company, previously captured by a guerrilla group of supporters whose members were passengers, waited to take the escapees to the neighboring country of Chile
, then ruled by socialist President Salvador Allende
.
Other vehicles, which should have been waiting for the rest of the escapees, weren't at the front of the prison due to a misunderstanding with the previously agreed-upon signals. However, a second group of 19 escapees managed to reach the airport on their own via three taxis, but arrived just as the aircraft took off.
A military patrol under the command of Lieutenant Commander Luis Emilio Sosa, deputy chief of the Naval Air Base Almirante Zar, led the recaptured prisoners via a public transport unit to that military facility. Rejecting the prisoners' request to return to Rawson Prison, Captain Sosa argued that the new site would be temporary but necessary as a prison riot at Rawson was still going on.
Unfortunately, the judge Alejandro Godoy, the director of the newspaper Jornada, the deputy director of the newspaper El Chubut, LU17 director Hector "Pepe" Castro and the lawyer Mario Abel Amaya, all of whom accompanied the prisoners as guarantors for their safety, were not allowed to enter with them under the excuse that the number of people was too large, and were forced to leave.
The spectacular escape attempt and partial success of the six top guerrilla leaders, who later managed to travel from Chile to Cuba
, had the military government of the self-proclaimed Argentine Revolution and the public in suspense for tense days. The general feeling was that bloody reprisals would occur if the six escaped rebel leaders were not returned to Argentina. Because of this perception, on the morning of August 17 Justicialist Party
sent a telegram to Interior Minister Arturo Mor Roig (part of the Radical Party board
) stating that they demanded respect for human rights of the political prisoners in the Rawson prison unit, and that they held him responsible for all the prisoners' safety and well-being.
tried pushing the president of Chile Salvador Allende into deporting the political escapees as criminals, the whole area of Rawson and Trelew were virtually occupied by military forces of the army and gendarmerie, who were patrolling continuously and made additional escape attempts impossible. The air base in Trelew maintained a large force of three thousand troops from the Navy.
In such a high tension climate, members of the Board of Chiefs of the three armed forces, employees and ministers met the night of August 21 at the Government House. They didn't provide any information to waiting news reporters.
That same night, at 03:30 hours on August 22, at the Almirante Zar Naval Base, the 19 detainees were suddenly awakened and led out of their cells. According to the testimony of the three surviving prisoners, they were forced to look at the floor and gunned down by a patrol under Lieutenant Commander Luis Emilio Sosa, and the tenient Roberto Bravo. Most died on the spot, while the injured were pushed down on the floor.
The official version of events indicated that there was a new escape attempt, with 16 dead and three wounded among the prisoners, but no casualties in the ranks of the Navy.
That night, the government sanctioned Law 19.797, which banned any dissemination of information regarding guerrilla organizations. In the following days, there were demonstrations in major cities of Argentina, and a number of bombs were placed in government offices to protest the killings.
Those killed were:
Survivors:
The Argentian Secretary for Human Rights, Eduardo Luis Duhalde, who represented some of the 19 political prisoners, said about the massacre:
Rawson
Rawson may refer to:Places*Rawson, Chubut, the capital of Chubut Province in Argentina, named after Guillermo Rawson*Rawson Department, Chubut, Argentina*Rawson Department, San Juan Province, Argentina...
Penitentiary. The prisoners were recaptured after an escape attempt and subsequently shot down by marines led by Lieutenant Commander Luis Emilio Sosa in a simulated new attempt to escape. The marines forced the prisoners to fake a new escape, then executed them as revenge by the dictatorship for the successful escape of some of their comrades during the initial prison break. The massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
took place on the morning of 22 August 1972 in the Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport, an airbase of the Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
near the city of Trelew
Trelew
-References:La Pasión según Trelew, Espejo de la Argentina, 1997, Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C.; Third Edition: April 2000, Buenos Aires, ISBN 950-742-859-3-External links:* * * *...
, Chubut
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Evasion
On 15 August at 18:30, 110 political prisoners attempted a massive escape from the prison at Rawson, the capital of Chubut ProvinceChubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
in Argentina. Only six of the 110 inmates (members of the People's Revolutionary Army
People's Revolutionary Army (Argentina)
The Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo was the military branch of the communist Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores in Argentina...
(ERP), Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and Montoneros
Montoneros
Montoneros was an Argentine Peronist urban guerrilla group, active during the 1960s and 1970s. The name is an allusion to 19th century Argentinian history. After Juan Perón's return from 18 years of exile and the 1973 Ezeiza massacre, which marked the definitive split between left and right-wing...
) succeeded.
The planner and head of the operation was Mario Roberto Santucho
Mario Roberto Santucho
Mario Roberto Santucho was an Argentine revolutionary. He was the leader of ERP . He was killed by the military in a shootout after his hideout was undercovered in 1976. His wife Liliana Delfino was also killed by the military of Argentina the same year.-References:*...
, leader of the Revolutionary Workers Party, although some reports say that Marcos Osatinsky (FAR) had started to plan the escape even before the arrival of Santucho the prison.
These two leaders along with Fernando Vaca Narvaja, Roberto Quieto, Enrique Gorriarán Merlo
Enrique Gorriarán Merlo
Enrique Haroldo Gorriarán Merlo was an Argentine guerrilla insurgency leader, born in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Buenos Aires Province....
and Domingo Menna made up the so-called Leakage Committee, and were the only ones able to escape, thanks to a waiting Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
, and get to Trelew airport where a BAC One-Eleven
BAC One-Eleven
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s...
airliner Southern Company, previously captured by a guerrilla group of supporters whose members were passengers, waited to take the escapees to the neighboring country of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, then ruled by socialist President Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
.
Other vehicles, which should have been waiting for the rest of the escapees, weren't at the front of the prison due to a misunderstanding with the previously agreed-upon signals. However, a second group of 19 escapees managed to reach the airport on their own via three taxis, but arrived just as the aircraft took off.
Recapture
When they saw their chance of escape disappear, this group called a press conference, laid down their arms without resistance and surrendered to the military personnel of the Navy that surrounded the area, hoping to get a government guarantee for their lives in the presence of journalists and judicial authorities.A military patrol under the command of Lieutenant Commander Luis Emilio Sosa, deputy chief of the Naval Air Base Almirante Zar, led the recaptured prisoners via a public transport unit to that military facility. Rejecting the prisoners' request to return to Rawson Prison, Captain Sosa argued that the new site would be temporary but necessary as a prison riot at Rawson was still going on.
Unfortunately, the judge Alejandro Godoy, the director of the newspaper Jornada, the deputy director of the newspaper El Chubut, LU17 director Hector "Pepe" Castro and the lawyer Mario Abel Amaya, all of whom accompanied the prisoners as guarantors for their safety, were not allowed to enter with them under the excuse that the number of people was too large, and were forced to leave.
The spectacular escape attempt and partial success of the six top guerrilla leaders, who later managed to travel from Chile to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, had the military government of the self-proclaimed Argentine Revolution and the public in suspense for tense days. The general feeling was that bloody reprisals would occur if the six escaped rebel leaders were not returned to Argentina. Because of this perception, on the morning of August 17 Justicialist Party
Justicialist Party
The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...
sent a telegram to Interior Minister Arturo Mor Roig (part of the Radical Party board
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
) stating that they demanded respect for human rights of the political prisoners in the Rawson prison unit, and that they held him responsible for all the prisoners' safety and well-being.
Shooting
While the government of Alejandro Agustin LanusseAlejandro Agustín Lanusse
Alejandro Agustín Lanusse Gelly was the 38th president of the Argentine Republic between March 22, 1971 and May 25, 1973, during the penultimate military dictatorship.- Career :...
tried pushing the president of Chile Salvador Allende into deporting the political escapees as criminals, the whole area of Rawson and Trelew were virtually occupied by military forces of the army and gendarmerie, who were patrolling continuously and made additional escape attempts impossible. The air base in Trelew maintained a large force of three thousand troops from the Navy.
In such a high tension climate, members of the Board of Chiefs of the three armed forces, employees and ministers met the night of August 21 at the Government House. They didn't provide any information to waiting news reporters.
That same night, at 03:30 hours on August 22, at the Almirante Zar Naval Base, the 19 detainees were suddenly awakened and led out of their cells. According to the testimony of the three surviving prisoners, they were forced to look at the floor and gunned down by a patrol under Lieutenant Commander Luis Emilio Sosa, and the tenient Roberto Bravo. Most died on the spot, while the injured were pushed down on the floor.
The official version of events indicated that there was a new escape attempt, with 16 dead and three wounded among the prisoners, but no casualties in the ranks of the Navy.
That night, the government sanctioned Law 19.797, which banned any dissemination of information regarding guerrilla organizations. In the following days, there were demonstrations in major cities of Argentina, and a number of bombs were placed in government offices to protest the killings.
Those killed were:
- Alejandro Ulla (PRT-ERP)
- Alfredo Kohon (FAR)
- Ana María Villarreal de Santucho (PRT-ERP)
- Carlos Alberto del Rey (PRT-ERP)
- Carlos Astudillo (FAR)
- Clarisa Lea Place (PRT-ERP)
- Eduardo Capello (PRT-ERP)
- Humberto Suárez (PRT-ERP)
- Humberto Toschi (PRT-ERP)
- José Ricardo Mena (PRT-ERP)
- María Angélica Sabelli (Montoneros)
- Mariano Pujadas (Montoneros)
- Mario Emilio Delfino (PRT-ERP)
- Miguel Ángel Polti (PRT-ERP)
- Pedro Bonet (PRT-ERP)
- Susana Lesgart (Montoneros)
Survivors:
- Alberto Miguel Camps (FAR - Disappeared in 1977)
- María Antonia Berger (FAR - Disappeared in 1979)
- Ricardo René Haidar (Montoneros - Disappeared in 1982)
Aftermath
Two of the main people responsible for the massacre, Vice-Admiral Hermes Quijada and minister Arturo Mor Roig, were later killed by the ERP.The Argentian Secretary for Human Rights, Eduardo Luis Duhalde, who represented some of the 19 political prisoners, said about the massacre: