BUENOS AIRES — On March 24, 2026, thousands of people marched through Buenos Aires to mark 50 years since the 1976 military coup. The 1976 military coup ushered in a military dictatorship that was responsible for widespread human rights abuses.

Human rights organizations estimate that 30,000 people were disappeared by the regime during its campaign against dissidents, including a left-wing guerrilla movement, labor activists and students. Official figures place the number of disappeared people during that period at around 8,000. A truth commission and human rights groups attribute the majority of violence during that period to state security forces.

Human rights organizations, labor unions, student groups, social movements and political organizations called for countrywide demonstrations under the slogan "Memory, Truth and Justice." The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo is an organization founded in 1977 that has worked to locate children taken during the dictatorship and called for the march.

Elsa Britos, a 60-year-old housemaid, said, "Today is a special day. I joined the protest to fight, and to fight with hope."

President Javier Milei insisted that commemorations should also include victims of attacks carried out by guerrilla groups active at the time. On March 24, 2026, President Milei shared a quote attributed to Russian political activist Garry Kasparov. Garry Kasparov said, "Communism is against human nature and can only be sustained through totalitarian repression."

The presidency released a video titled "Day of Remembrance for Justice and the Full Truth." The video featured the testimony of a young woman who was taken as a baby during the dictatorship and regained her identity in 2017. The video featured the testimony of the son of an Argentine colonel who was kidnapped by a guerrilla group.

President Milei rose to power in 2023. As part of his austerity plan, President Milei downgraded the Human Rights Secretariat to a sub-secretariat, cut the budget of the Human Rights Secretariat and laid off staff from the Human Rights Secretariat. Technical teams working on archive analysis were dismissed by the administration. The administration accused the technical teams of political bias and of carrying out persecution of former military personnel.

An estimated 500 babies born in captivity were illegally taken and adopted by military families or associates. Around 140 of those babies have been identified. Recovery efforts have been hindered by the military's refusal to provide information about the whereabouts of victims' remains.