Alfredo Astiz facts for kids

Alfredo Ignacio Astiz (born November 8, 1951) is a former Argentine military officer. He was a commander and intelligence officer in the Argentine Navy. He served during a time when the military ruled Argentina, from 1976 to 1983. This period was known as the "Dirty War."

Astiz was sometimes called El Ángel Rubio de la Muerte, which means "The Blond Angel of Death." He was later found guilty of very serious crimes. He was removed from the military in 1998 after talking about his actions in a news interview.

He was part of a special group called GT 3.3.2. This group was based at the Naval Mechanics School (ESMA) in Buenos Aires. The school was used as a secret place to hold and mistreat people who opposed the government. Many people were held there and disappeared.

Astiz was known for secretly joining human rights groups. He would then help his military forces kidnap their members. He was involved in the kidnapping of twelve human rights activists in 1977. This included founders of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and two French nuns. These people were never seen alive again after being taken.

During the 1982 Falklands War, Astiz surrendered to British forces. Other countries wanted to question him about missing people. However, the United Kingdom sent him back to Argentina. Later, Argentina passed laws that protected military officers from being punished. But in 2005, these laws were declared unconstitutional. Astiz was then arrested and charged with kidnapping and mistreatment. In 2011, he was found guilty of serious crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison in Argentina.

Astiz's Military Service

Alfredo Astiz was part of the GT 3.3.2 (Task Force 3.3.2). This group was based at the Naval Mechanics School (ESMA) in Buenos Aires. During the "Dirty War," about 5,000 people who opposed the government were held there. Many were mistreated or killed. This group was involved in thousands of deaths and other crimes. These were later documented by a special commission after Argentina became a democracy again in 1983.

As an Intelligence Officer

During the "Dirty War," Astiz worked as an intelligence officer. His job was to secretly join human rights groups in Argentina. He used a fake name, "Gustavo Niño." He would stay with a group long enough to find out who the main members were. Then, he would arrange for his military forces to kidnap them.

These prisoners were taken to the secret detention camp at ESMA. They were questioned to get information about other members. Most of the people taken were later killed by the military. Astiz was believed to have kidnapped and mistreated hundreds of people in 1976 and 1977. Some of these were citizens of other countries. Their cases became known internationally.

In 1977, Astiz shot and wounded a 17-year-old girl named Dagmar Hagelin. She was trying to escape capture. Dagmar Hagelin was never found. Witnesses said they saw her later at the ESMA center. They claimed Astiz was in charge of questioning her. She was never seen alive again. In 2017, Astiz was found guilty of murdering Dagmar Hagelin. He received a second life sentence for this and other crimes.

In December 1977, Astiz organized the kidnapping of about a dozen people. These included members of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. This group of mothers protested peacefully to find out what happened to their missing children. He also kidnapped two French Catholic nuns, Léonie Duquet and Alice Domon. None of these people were seen alive again after being held at ESMA.

Later, unidentified bodies were found on beaches south of Buenos Aires. Autopsies showed they had died from being thrown out of aircraft over the ocean. In 2005, some of these bodies were identified using DNA testing. They included Duquet and founders of the Mothers of the Plaza. Domon's body has not been found.

The Falklands War

Astiz led a special team of fifteen frogmen. They were called los lagartos (the lizards). This team started the first act of aggression in the Falklands War. On March 19, 1982, they landed on South Georgia. They pretended to be workers for a scrap metal company. They raised the Argentine flag in front of a British group.

The British government reacted by sending more forces to South Georgia. The Argentine soldiers there surrendered on April 23, 1982. Astiz insisted on signing a surrender document for himself and his small team. This made it seem like he was the commander of the whole group on South Georgia.

Astiz had also set up explosives on the island's football field. He planned to blow them up when British officers came to accept his surrender. Luckily, the wires were spotted at the last minute. The surrender location was changed. Astiz later admitted he planned to kill the British delegation.

Being a Prisoner of War

After the British took back South Georgia, Astiz and his men became prisoners. Sweden and France wanted to question Astiz. They believed he was involved in the "disappearances" of their citizens. The United Kingdom decided to send Astiz to the UK so he could be questioned.

Astiz was questioned twice in June 1982 by a British police officer. Both times, Astiz refused to answer any questions. The United Kingdom then sent Astiz back to Argentina on June 10, 1982. This was just before the end of the Falklands War.

The UK government believed that international rules for prisoners of war protected Astiz. This meant he could not be tried in the UK or sent to another country. This was because the crimes he was accused of happened in Argentina. Also, at that time, these crimes were not considered international crimes.

Legal Troubles and Convictions

On March 16, 1990, a French court found Astiz guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison even though he was not present at the trial. This was for his part in the mistreatment and disappearance of the two French nuns, Alice Domon and Léonie Duquet. French law allows trials like this if crimes are committed against French citizens in other countries.

For many years, Astiz was protected by laws in Argentina. These laws, passed in 1986 and 1987, stopped military officers from being punished. In 1998, Astiz told an Argentine magazine that he was "the best-trained man in Argentina to kill journalists and politicians." He also said he was "not sorry for anything." Because of these comments, he was removed from the military.

Astiz was arrested by Argentine police in July 2001. The laws protecting military officers did not cover child abduction. Italy wanted Astiz to be sent to their country. They wanted to question him about the kidnapping and mistreatment of three Italian citizens. This included a pregnant woman whose baby was believed to have been given illegally for adoption to a military family. Astiz was not sent to Italy.

In 2005, Argentina's highest court said the amnesty laws were unconstitutional. This meant that cases of war crimes could be reopened. Astiz was then arrested again. He was charged with kidnapping and mistreatment related to 12 victims from December 1977. After a long trial, on October 27, 2011, Alfredo Astiz was found guilty. An Argentine court sentenced him to life in prison for crimes against humanity.

Eleven other people involved with ESMA were also sentenced to life in prison. Four others received sentences from 18 to 25 years. By late 2011, Astiz was one of 259 people convicted of human rights abuses from that time.

Claims of Other Countries' Involvement

In 2007, Astiz and another former naval officer claimed that a French intelligence agent was involved in the kidnapping of the two French nuns. This agent denied any connection. It has been suggested that France trained Argentine officers in certain techniques used during conflicts.

Personal Life

Family

Alfredo Astiz was born on November 8, 1951. He came from a traditional Argentine family with Spanish roots. His father, Bernardo Astiz, was a vice admiral in the Argentine Navy. His mother, María Elena Vázquez, was a housewife.

Health

Astiz was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004. In 2013, a court decided he could not be treated in a military hospital. This was because of a rule that banned convicted criminals from using military health facilities. Astiz said this decision was harming his health.

See Also

• Dirty War
• Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo
• Falklands War

Images for kids

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  CPO2 and parachuters insignia displayed in the Imperial War Museum, London; one on the left is a Chief Petty Officer, or SubOfficial 2ndo