Ever hear of School of the Americas?
The United States was aware of—and quietly supported—Argentina’s 1976 military coup that removed President Isabel Perón on March 24. There is no evidence it directly orchestrated the takeover.
Key Contacts
U.S. officials, including Ambassador Robert Hill, met with senior officers such as Admiral Emilio Massera in the weeks before the coup. Massera signaled that the military was preparing to act. CIA Director George H.W. Bush also briefed President Gerald Ford on a potential coup nearly two weeks in advance.
(Source: U.S. National Security Archive, “Argentina Declassification Project”; CIA intelligence briefs, March 1976)
Tacit Endorsement
More than a month before the takeover, U.S. officials privately indicated they would recognize a new military government, despite internal State Department warnings about prolonged rule and repression. After the coup, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger urged Argentina’s foreign minister to move quickly against “terrorists” before U.S. congressional pressure on human rights increased.
(Source: National Security Archive, “Kissinger to Argentine Generals, 1976”; U.S. State Department cables, 1975–1976)
Broader Backing
Following the coup, the United States supported the junta through intelligence sharing, counterinsurgency training, and coordination tied to Operation Condor. These efforts, driven by Cold War fears of communism in Latin America, helped sustain the “Dirty War,” during which up to 30,000 people were killed or disappeared between 1976 and 1983. Declassified records show Washington viewed military rule as preferable to political instability under Perón.
(Source: J. Patrice McSherry, Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America; National Security Archive; U.S. Department of State Human Rights Reports)
More Sources
National Security Archive (George Washington University) – Argentina Declassification Project
J. Patrice McSherry, Predatory States
Carlos Osorio (ed.), U.S. Declassified Documents on Argentina
U.S. State Department cables (1975–1976)
CONADEP Report (Nunca Más, 1984)
