Obama to Visit Argentina's New President Macri on Anniversary of Military Coup
Published 19 February 2016 (5 hours 41 minutes ago)
Human rights activists are condemning the timing of the trip.
Hebe de Bonafini, Argentine human rights activist and founder of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, strongly criticized the timing of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Argentina, which will coincide with the anniversary of the 1976 military coup.
The right-wing Argentine president, Mauricio Macri, who took office in December 2015, has been eager to cozy up to the United States after years of fraught relations between the two countries under the leadership of leftist former presidents.
“Let's raise alarm bells, he did not invite him to visit on a regular date. He invited him to visit March 24 … (Macri) is a servant of theirs,” said de Bonafini, referring to politicians in the United States.
March 24 is an official public holiday in Argentina and known as Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice. Events are held on that date to commemorate the victims of the dictatorship and their Dirty War, backed by the United States, which left up to 30,000 killed or disappeared.
Operation Condor
The Plaza de Mayo, seat of the executive in Argentina, is host to large demonstrations on March 24.
The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo convene every Thursday at the plaza, however their most recent march was briefly impeded by police after Security Minister Patricia Bullrich announced a new zero tolerance policy for unauthorized demonstrations.
Hebe de Bonafini warned that the Macri government may try to impede demonstrations this year as a result of Obama's visit to the country and the government's crackdown on protests.
The human rights activist was defiant, however.
“No one is going to remove us from the Plaza … If they want to beat us, let them beat us. We didn't let Macri have the Plaza on (his inauguration day) and we won't let him have it now. He should forget about it. The Plaza belongs to the people,” said de Bonafini.
Macri wanted to stage the handover of power at the Casa Rosada presidential palace, which sits on the Plaza de Mayo, but a sharp disagreement with outgoing President Cristina Fernandez prevented Macri's wishes from being fulfilled.
Instead on her last day in office Fernandez held a massive rally with supporters and Macri was forced to receive the ceremonial presidential baton from the senate president.
Bonafini is a strong critic of President Macri — who has pursued a neoliberal agenda since taking office — comparing him regularly with the dictatorship.
She was accused of “inciting collective violence” for calling for mobilizations and resistance against Macri.
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