The so-called guerra sucia (dirty war), which took place in Argentina under the various military governments that ruled from 1976 through 1983, resulted in the disappearance of between 9,000 and 30,000 people, and many more victims of torture and prolonged imprisonment. It was one of the worst examples of state terrorism in twentieth-century Latin America. The demand for justice figured prominently in the electoral campaign of the winning candidate, Raúl Alfonsín, during the 1983 presidential elections that restored civilian rule. During Alfonsín's presidency (1983–1989) the human rights issue continued to occupy a prominent place in public discourse. The struggle to bring to justice the perpetrators of the crimes also generated controversy and sowed unrest within the ranks of the military. On assuming office, Alfonsín formed a truth commission, the National Commission on the Disappeared (Comision Nacional sobre la...