Part I
The Repression

Nunca Más (Never Again) - Report of Conadep  - 1984
 

Executions by firing squad in Quilmes

SoonIf we look at what happened in other parts of the country, we can see that events at La Perla were not an isolated phenomenon. 

In fact everything seems to indicate that we only know a fraction of the truth, and only time can reveal the full dimensions of the tragedy. The Human Rights Commission in Quilmes recently confirmed the accuracy of a deposition which said that eighteen people had been shot and buried in unmarked graves in the local cemetery at the end of 1977.

At first no information was obtained about the case, until 29 June 1984 when the Commission took a statement from Edgardo Poleri, formerly head foreman of the cemetery. He said that around that date he had received an order to close the municipal cemetery temporarily and to give the staff leave on the pretext that the cemetery was being disinfected. Only the porter at the main gate and the witness himself remained at their posts.

Then a lorry like those used to carry meat had entered the cemetery and Señor Poleri had heard voices from inside it. Guarded by armed men in uniform, it had gone to the area where the burial niches for the Federation of Trade Employees were being built. After about ten minutes he had heard a volley of machine-gun fire, from a distance of about 50 metres.

On 2 July 1984 the contents of this testimony were confirmed by Héctor Alanis, another former employee of the cemetery, who added that on the day of the events narrated he had not seen the gravediggers leave as usual.