Wiesenthal Center Supports Bill That Recalls Argentina’s Providing Safe Haven for Major Nazi Mass Murderers

July 15, 2020

Buenos Aires – A group of Congressional Representatives presented a Draft Law that declares July 15 as "Day of Remembrance Against Impunity for War Criminals, Crimes Against Humanity and Remembrance of their Victims."

Its author, Congressional Representative Waldo Wolff stated at the presentation of the project that he chose that date as it was the first day that Adolf Eichmann arrived to live in Argentina.

He added that many Nazi criminals entered through the front door, with official facilities and help from the Red Cross, while Jews had to hide their identity to enter Argentina.

If the Bill is approved, each year there will be official activities to commemorate the event.

Monica Dawidowicz, a survivor of the Shoah, gave testimony.

During his presentation, Dr. Ariel Gelblung, Simon Wiesenthal Center`s Latin American Director, exhibited copies of the documentation used by Adolf Eichmann, Klaus Barbie, Josef Mengele and Erich Priebke to enter Argentina and referred to the latter's extradition processes, as also, Dinko Sakic`s during the 90s.

(Dr. Gelblung exhibing documents on Eichmann`s and Barbie`s arrival to Argentina)

“Approving this Bill will maintain the coherence of Argentine state policy since the adoption in 1988 of the Anti-Discrimination Law, opening of the Nazi archives, participation as a full member of the IHRA (International Holocaust  Remembrance Alliance), repeal of the Circular 11/1938 instructing diplomats not to grant visas to Jews and to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The document will act as a declaration of refusal to receive perpetrators for crimes against humanity, based on the Preamble to the National Constitution in the sense that those who would wish to reside on Argentine soil are to dignify it and not stain it with their presence, ” Dr. Gelblung argued.

Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Center, concluded: "The Wiesenthal Center proudly sponsors this bill, in the hope that this state policy regarding antisemitism, Holocaust memory and genocide will be adopted by the other countries across Latin America."

For all the ceremony, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRigZeRw04c

For further information, please contact Dr.Shimon Samuels at +336 09770158 or Dr. Ariel Gelblung at +54 9 11 49695365, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).