American Action -and Inaction- before Argentina's Coup d'État
TL;DR
The US knew about the political crisis unfolding in Argentina prior to the "Dirty War", where violence and human rights violations started to become widespread. Despite this, they refused to offer aid.
The Article
Leading up to the military coup d'état that ushered in Argentina's "Dirty War", the country dealt with significant political instability. From 1930 to 1976 (the beginning of the "Dirty War"), Argentina experienced roughly 9 coups and more than 20 different political leaders 1. During this, leftist groups were banding together for guerrilla warfare. These guerrilla groups robbed and stole "Robin Hood-style", stealing from the rich and giving to the poor 1. By the 1970s, Argentina's instability-shaped by lingering World War II ideologies and intensifying Cold War tensions-caught the attention of the United States. In fact, the US had already stationed intelligence operatives throughout Argentina, monitoring the political climate. On July 2, 1975, US officials in Argentina reported terrorist plans from the Argentine People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), one of the guerrilla groups mentioned earlier. They reported concerns that the ERP planned to kidnap US officials and attack their embassy in Buenos Aires 2. While they only reported concerns for the US officials, it highlights Argentina's rising instability and the US' awareness of it.
In another declassified document, the US discussed the persecution of leftist groups throughout Latin America. The report starts with the statement about the political atmosphere, commenting on the known violation of human rights 2. This shows that the US fully knew of the things occurring in Argentina. Following this, the focus shifts to Argentina's "legal" persecution of leftist sympathizers. The document hints that the government was overturning exiles in favor of execution, outside the law. These points emphasize the instability of Latin America as a whole, with Argentina leading the charge 2. It shows that the US knew of the war crimes and inhumane actions that culminated in the "Dirty War."
Together, these documents show that the US was not a bystander in Argentina's political collapse, but an observer with a clear view of the nation's descent into violence. The US intelligence agents documented the guerrilla activity, predicted the military repression, and acknowledged the rising political persecution of the left. Despite this, they decided neither to intervene nor offer aid. The US minimized the suffering of the Argentinian people, shown by the nonchalant mentions of the human rights abuses. As the tensions of the Cold War escalated, the situation in Argentina was seen not as a humanitarian crisis but as a strategic battle for ideological supremacy. By choosing to observe rather than intervene, the United States facilitated the conditions necessary for repression to spread unchecked. In the next article, we will explore how the Cold War and the US' tactical agenda made the refusal of aid not just acceptable but politically advantageous.