Why did the period of military rule from 1976 become known as the Dirty War?

The term Dirty War refers to the systematic campaign of state terror waged by Argentina’s military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983. The regime, led by a junta that included Jorge Rafael Videla, initiated this campaign under the guise of the "Process of National Reorganization" to eliminate perceived left-wing political threats.123

The conflict is characterized by severe human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 citizens. The regime became infamous for the practice of "disappearing" individuals—abducting citizens from their homes or public spaces and holding them in clandestine detention centers where they were subjected to torture and often killed without trial.134

Beyond targeting militant groups, the state persecuted intellectuals, students, trade unionists, and religious figures who advocated for social justice or criticized the government. The regime also engaged in the systematic abduction of infants born to detained women, who were then placed with families connected to the military. This period remains a profound example of state-sponsored violence and the violation of fundamental human dignity.4