Hundreds of Argentines gathered on Friday to honor the 1994 blast that killed dozens and left an enduring sense of injustice.
Attendees called for accountability in a case that has yet to reach a judicial resolution.
Historical Context
The July 18, 1994, car bomb at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) building was the most devastating attack in the country’s history, claiming 85 lives and injuring over 300.
Two years earlier, an explosion at the Israeli embassy killed 29 and wounded 200.
Political Participation
President Javier Milei, a vocal supporter of Israel, attended the commemoration sloganed “Impunity persists, terrorism too.”
Victims’ families and survivors hope Milei’s background as a Catholic-born leader will spur progress; he has already visited Israel twice since taking office in December 2023 and expressed a deep interest in Judaism.
Legal Developments
In April 2024, an Argentine court found Iran and Hezbollah responsible for what it called a “crime against humanity,” linking the attacks to the cancellation of three nuclear contracts with Iran under former President Carlos Menem.
June saw a judge authorize a trial in absentia against ten Iranian and Lebanese defendants, former ministers and diplomats; no trial date has been set.
Iran has consistently denied involvement and refused to hand over suspects.
Opposition to Absentia Trials
The Memoria Activa organization, representing victims’ families, rejects trials in absentia, insisting that “essential for the accused to participate” for truthfulness.
The AMIA itself supports a trial but warns that “holding a trial only to end in some sort of nullity or a declaration of unconstitutionality would once again be very painful for everyone.”
Both groups have criticized the Argentine state’s handling of the case.
International Human Rights Findings
Last year, the Inter‑American Court of Human Rights in San José, Costa Rica, held the state accountable for failing to prevent or investigate the AMIA attack and for “cover‑up and obstruction.”
Prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who investigated alleged cover‑up against former President Cristina Kirchner, was later murdered, and no one was charged in his death.
Jewish Community in Argentina
Argentina hosts Latin America’s largest Jewish community, with nearly 300,000 people living primarily in Buenos Aires.
