Thirty kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires lies Campo de Mayo. Its vast expanse holds a history both glorious and grim. Campo de Mayo was established in 1901. A Congressional bill authorized its development. President Julio Roca signed the bill into law. Land was purchased in 1910 to build this significant military base. It houses numerous schools and units. The Army NCO School the Campo de Mayo Military Hospital and the Metropolitan Military Garrison HQ are all here. It even includes the Argentine Army Aviation’s main units. Campo de Mayo is a huge complex. It encompasses 8000 hectares. This sprawling base is one of Argentina’s most important military installations.
But Campo de Mayo’s history is not without its shadows. During the 1976-1982 military dictatorship. Campo de Mayo became a network of clandestine detention centers. “La Casita” “Prisión Militar de Encausados” “El Campito” and the Military Hospital all held secrets. Innocent people were held here often without trial. Babies were even kidnapped from pregnant detainees. The sheer scale of human rights abuses committed within these walls is staggering. Estimates suggest between 3500 and 5000 people passed through Campo de Mayo. The majority remain disappeared.
Campo de Mayo also witnessed an attempted coup. In April 1987 Lieutenant Colonel Aldo Rico led a mutiny. His men known as Carapintadas staged the uprising. This event happened despite the Full Stop Law. This law limited prosecutions of officers involved in the Dirty War. President Raúl Alfonsín successfully quashed the rebellion. The mutiny shook the nation. It highlighted the lingering instability following the dictatorship.
Today Campo de Mayo is a site of remembrance. Work has begun on a space to honor its victims. The Espacio para la Memoria y la Promoción de los Derechos Humanos “Campo de Mayo” is under construction. This memorial will serve as a stark reminder of the past. It will ensure that the suffering within its walls will never be forgotten. A space to remember promote human rights and to teach the next generations the importance of truth justice and freedom will be erected. Campo de Mayo’s story is a complicated one. It’s a story of military might. It’s also a tragic story of human suffering. A journey through Campo de Mayo is a journey through Argentina’s past its triumphs and its traumas.