Truth and Reconciliation in Argentina

Reflecting on Forty Years of Legal and Social Reform

Abstract

Regarded as one of the earliest and most successful truth commissions, Argentina’s National Commission on the Disappeared (CONADEP) has served for decades as a model for transitional governments seeking truth and reconciliation. Formed after the events of the Argentine Dirty War (1976-1983), CONADEP held the monumental task of investigating the truth of the state’s systematic human rights abuses during that period. As an institution, the commission itself was a great success, exceeding its mandate and exhaustively reporting on the true scope of the Dirty War. The social and political reforms it induced, though, have seen mixed results as the country continues to grapple with its past; reconciliation in Argentina has indeed made substantial progress, but has also encountered significant setbacks from the government. CONADEP and the resulting reforms have certainly earned their exemplary status, but they must be understood under a larger, ongoing context of national healing that is far from perfect.