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1. Is the U.S. government sorry for their support of the 1976 dictatorship?
Obama’s visit to the Parque de la Memoria, a memorial built in honor of the 30,000 people disappeared during the last dictatorship could be interpreted as a way to apologize for the U.S. support of the dictatorship. However, his speech very clearly avoided doing so: “We have been slow to speak up for human rights and that was the case here,” said Obama. While it is definitely one step forward from complete silence, it is a far cry from the historic, “I come here to say sorry in the name of the Argentine state,” that former president Nestor Kirchner pronounced, loud and clear, in front of the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo in 2003.
2. Obama wants Argentina to move on. So does Macri. But on to where?
Several gestures by President Obama were directed at what Argentine left and social movements defined as “washing the face of imperialism” and to try and start a new era in Argentine-U.S. relations. Being seen as leaders that are sensitive towards human rights issues is a goal both share. Obama keeps trying to be seen as a progressive and acknowledge the tortures carried out in the context of the “war on terror”, while Macri has been criticized for his complete lack of interest in matters of human rights throughout his political career.
However, the idea of “moving on” that was encouraged by both presidents is not well-received in Argentina when it comes to the crimes against humanity committed during the last dictatorship.
A small detail in the press conference held in the Parque de la Memoria was picked up by human rights organizations: both Presidents talked about the “military” dictatorship, while the human rights movement and also previous presidents Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez always called it the civil-military dictatorship, due to the participation of businessmen in top government positions and the complicity some major companies had in the illegal repression.
This is why human rights movements keep demanding Macri guarantee that trials against torturers will continue and that the judiciary needs to go after the big businesses that were the true instigators of the 1976 coup. As long as the real beneficiaries of the coup are not brought to justice, there can be no moving on, they argue.
3. Talking about human rights violations as history
Both presidents expressed their condolences to the families of the victims of Argentina’s last dictatorship. The harsh contradiction of President Macri saying he is against institutional violence while holding indigenous leader Milagro Sala as a political prisoner did not go unnoticed, and the freedom of Sala was one of the main demands of the March 24 rally.
Hoy reafirmamos nuestro compromiso en defensa de la democracia y los derechos humanos y decimos "Nunca más" a la violencia institucional.
— Mauricio Macri (@mauriciomacri) 24 de marzo de 2016
Today we reaffirm our committment in the defense of democracy and human rights and we say 'Never Again' to institutional violence."
In the case of President Obama, human rights organizations had made it clear that they would not be part of the official schedule due not only to U.S. complicity with the dictatorship, but also because of its foreign policy at present. “Obama comes here on March 24 while the U.S. keeps supporting those who murder Palestinians, Syrians, Libyans, and bringing destruction all over the world,” said Nora Cortiñas, one of the leaders of the founding line of Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
4. Obama Endorsed Argentina's changes: "Macri is a man on a mission"
On the first day of his visit, President Obama seemed focused on praising Macri’s economic policies. “I am impressed, he has moved rapidly on so many of the reforms that he promised to create a more sustainable and inclusive economic growth to reconnect Argentina with the global economy,” he said.
But Macri’s policies of massive layoffs, lifting import-export barriers, and increasing foreign debt are seen by many Argentines as the re-edition of the 1990’s neoliberal era under Carlos Menem.
In fact, the last U.S. presidents that visited the country for a bilateral meeting with their local counterparts were George H. W. Bush in 1990 and Bill Clinton in 1997, both of whom met with Menem and also had lots of compliments for his economic policies.
5. Vulture Funds: Obama thinks they can cement relations
Despite having avoided any position in regards to the legal dispute between Argentina and the hedge funds known as vulture funds, Obama has decided that he would help Macri with this. The White House has filed a request to the U.S. judiciary aimed at lifting all barriers that block the country from reaching an agreement with the vultures.
According to local media, the request says if the agreement is not reached, “there would be serious consequences for the Argentine economy and for U.S. interests in the region in general.”
It is clear that Argentine businesses and the U.S. government are the only ones that will gain from the new neoliberal regime.
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