Argentina truth trial to rule on 70-year-old execution of five Peronists

Seventy years after five Peronist militants were executed by Argentina's military dictatorship, a truth trial is poised to deliver its verdict. The proceedings, aimed at recovering historical memory, have meticulously reconstructed the events of June 9-10, 1956, when twelve men were detained and five were shot outside Buenos Aires.

The trial's verdict was initially scheduled for Friday but was postponed to June 22 due to the extensive testimonies heard over three days. The hearings took place in José León Suárez, the same location where the executions occurred following a failed uprising led by Peronist General Juan José Valle against the regime of Pedro Eugenio Aramburu and Isaac Rojas. This occurred a year after the coup that overthrew Juan Domingo Perón, leading to nearly 18 years of proscription for Peronism.

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Reaching this trial stage was a pending debt for us for many years.

The most significant testimony came from Juan Carlos Livraga, the sole survivor, known as 'the executed man who lives.' His account, detailed in Rodolfo Walsh's book 'Operación Masacre,' was presented through written statements and an audiovisual interview. Livraga, now 94 and residing in the United States, was one of twelve men detained in Florida, Greater Buenos Aires. The five executed were Nicolás Carranza, Francisco Garibotti, Carlos Alberto Lizaso, Mario Brión, and Vicente Rodríguez. Only Livraga survived the execution at the landfill.

Family members expressed their hope for justice. Berta Carranza, daughter of Nicolás Carranza, stated, "Reaching this trial stage was a pending debt for us for many years." She recalled being unable to initiate legal action when the responsible official, Desiderio Fernández Suárez, was still alive. Delia Garibotti, daughter of Francisco Garibotti, also voiced her desire for justice, asserting, "They died for being Peronists."

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They died for being Peronists.