Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The frustrations of the Carapintada boiled over into another military
rebellion, this one, unlike the others, ending in military casualties. In
December 1990, the Carapintada seized the army headquarters build-
ing near the Casa Rosada in downtown Buenos Aires and demanded a
thorough purge of the generals as well as the promotion of Seineldín
to army commander. The ensuing firefight between the Carapintada
and loyal army units resulted in 14 dead and 55 injured. Subsequently,
Seineldín received a life sentence for his part in the bloody rebellion,
and 13 others were sentenced to prison terms of two to 20 years.
President Menem attempted to put an end to the issue of human rights
and military culpability. Although 14 Carapintada and 11 attackers of
La Tablada languished in jail, Menem pardoned all the junta members
and other general officers who had received jail terms for crimes against
humanity. President Menem also released Montonero Mario Firmenich,
in an attempt to heal old animosities. Not a single guerrilla or military
THE STRANGE POLITICAL
SYMBOLISM OF THE DEAD
C
ontroversy tends to follow powerful Argentine personalities even
into death. For 112 years, political opposition had prevented
the return to Argentina of the remains of Juan Manuel de Rosas, the
governor of Buenos Aires province from 1829 to 1852, who had fled
to England when ousted from power. While campaigning for the presi-
dency, Carlos Saúl Menem had promised to bring back Rosas. True to
his word, under Menem Rosas's remains received a presidential funeral,
complete with a mounted procession of gauchos in traditional garb
and cavalry troops in uniforms dating from the War of Independence.
President Menem had engineered the return of the notorious 19th-
century caudillo to help the country “leave resentment behind.” He was
preparing public opinion for his forthcoming pardons of generals and
guerrillas convicted for their activities during the Dirty War. It was not
the first time—nor the last—that the living struggled over the bodies
of famous Argentines.
Just two years before, as President Alfonsín's administration suffered
its first reversals, unknown persons had plundered the tomb of Juan
Domingo Perón. They stole the general's saber and cut off both his
hands. They left a ransom demanding $8 million for their return. It took
five hours for judicial and police authorities to reopen the coffin, for
