Obama honors victims of Argentina's 'Dirty War'; faults U.S. on human rights
Source: Reuters
World | Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:59pm EDT
Obama honors victims of Argentina's 'Dirty War'; faults U.S. on human rights
BUENOS AIRES | BY HUGH BRONSTEIN AND JEFF MASON
President Barack Obama said the United States was too slow to condemn human rights atrocities during Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship as he honored victims of the "Dirty War" on Thursday, but he stopped short of apologizing for Washington's early support for the military junta.
Obama's state visit to Argentina coincided with the 40th anniversary of the coup that began a seven-year crackdown on Marxist rebels, labor unions and leftist opponents, during which security forces killed 30,000 people.
"There has been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days," Obama said while visiting a memorial park in Buenos Aires dedicated to victims of the dictatorship.
"Democracies have to have the courage to acknowledge when we don't live up to the ideals that we stand for. And we've been slow to speak out for human rights and that was the case here," he said.
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