Pro-Government Militias
"Working Group" Death Squad (Argentina)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 238 |
| Country: | Argentina |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1976 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The “Working Group” Death Squad was set up as independent militarized cells by the government under military rule. |
| Date dissolved: | Dec. 10, 1983 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The group is coded as terminated when the democratic government took over in December 1983 after the first general elections in October 1983. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | unclear |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | no information |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; journalists |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; intimidate political opposition |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The PGM is also known as “working class death squad”, “phantom squadrons” or “the people who will always be unknown”. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the group was to combat leftist armed groups or any person who might have leftist sympathies. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The “Working Group” Death Squad was involved in many murders, torture and disappearances of civilians such as middle-class factory workers, students, union leaders and children. Different news source estimate that around 9,000- 30,000 Argentines were abducted by the group and its allies in the police and military. They allegedly acted with a mandate of the military government. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | kidnapping/abductions; killing; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group is organized in militarized cells which are independent of central control and has a structure like a guerilla organisation. Evidence suggests that the cells got harder to control and that their commanders did sometimes try to operate under autonomous rule, for instance by trying to sabotage peace with Britain in 1982. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.