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a white banner is hanging on a fence in front of a building .

Torture centre in the middle of town

A visit to the ESMA memorial museum in Buenos Aires, is a visit to the last civic-military dictatorship (1976-1983) and the terrorism committed to the Argentinian people. To Argentina’s dark past.

Although it might seem surprising, the former military detention facility is located along the busy Avenida Libertador, one of the principal avenues north of town, with high-rise buildings and departments filled with families on every side.

This was a clandestine centre of torture, detention, and extermination, one of greater of the 700 clandestine torture centres in the country. It was used by the military dictatorship which caused some 30 000 Argentinians “disappear”.

a large white building with columns and a sign that says escuela de mecanica de la armada .

Once the headquarters of the Navy, more than 5000 men and women were kidnapped and brought to ESMA during the dictatorship. The kidnappings, tortures, forced-work and afterwards murders with the so-called “flights of death” were systematic planned.

The “desaparecidos” were given sleeping drugs and were thrown out of aeroplanes into the river Río de la Plata.

a black and white photo of a group of people 's faces on a wall .

Pregnant women were kept alive until they gave birth before they were exterminated and their babies sent off to other families. At ESMA, it is estimated that at least 34 babies were born in a clandestine and very simple birth room.

The Navy officers lived together with the “disappeared” prisoners like in a concentration camp. The museum at ESMA was opened in 2004 to defend and promote human rights.

a white building with a portrait of a man on the side of it .

The museum offers a guided tour, to reserve you need to write to them: visitasguidas@espaciomemoria.ar

Website: https://www.espaciomemoria.ar

two young men are posing for a picture together in front of a projector screen .

Scholarship opportunities

Each semester, we offer a select few local students the opportunity to take part in the course through our scholarship programme.

You must be a national of the country of study to be eligible.

The deadline to apply is 1 June for the autumn semester, and 1 November for the spring semester.

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