“Vuelos de la muerte.” Death flights. Have you ever heard of such a macabre term? Here at Aeródromo de Campo de Mayo, that chilling phrase echoes through its history.
Aeródromo de Campo de Mayo stands as a military airport near San Miguel. It lies within a 36 square kilometer military reservation. Urban sprawl surrounds it in Buenos Aires’ northwest suburbs.
This airport’s story takes a dark turn during Argentina’s last civic-military dictatorship. From 1976 to 1983, Aeródromo de Campo de Mayo became a site of terror. It was a launchpad for “vuelos de la muerte”.
Victims, detained and disappeared, were loaded onto aircraft. These planes flew over the ocean or the Río de la Plata. The repressors then heartlessly threw the victims into the water below. This horrifying practice aimed to eliminate any trace of the crimes. It sought to instill terror within society.
The bodies vanished. The evidence disappeared. The oppressors aimed for impunity.
The Secretaría de Derechos Humanos has marked Aeródromo Militar Campo de Mayo as a site of memory. This act acknowledges the atrocities committed here. It honors the victims. It ensures that such horrors are never forgotten.
Within the Campo de Mayo garrison, clandestine detention centers operated. “El Campito,” “Las Casitas,” and the Military Prison for Accused were among them. The Military Hospital also functioned as a clandestine maternity ward. Political, social, and student activists were detained in these centers. Most of them remain disappeared.
In 2008, the Campo de Mayo Military Garrison was marked with pillars of Memory, Truth, and Justice. “El Campito” was similarly marked in 2019. The Military Hospital received its designation more recently. These markings serve as visible reminders of past injustices.
The runway length at Aeródromo de Campo de Mayo includes 65 meters of paved overruns on both ends. The El Palomar VOR-DME is located 10 kilometers south-southeast of the airport. The El Palomar non-directional beacon is 7 kilometers to the southeast.
Today, Aeródromo de Campo de Mayo stands as a place of remembrance. It is a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during the dictatorship. The site serves as a warning. We must never forget the importance of human rights. We must defend democracy against tyranny. Aeródromo de Campo de Mayo is more than just an airport. It is a symbol of Argentina’s struggle for justice.