Pro-Government Militias
Triple A (Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance) (Argentina)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 508 |
| Country: | Argentina |
| Date formed: | Oct. 1, 1973 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | Triple A was created under the rule of Isabel Peron in a meeting between various ministers and governors. Its creation was suggested by the Italian Propaganda Due Masonic Lodge and implemented mainly by the social welfare minister of that time, Mr Lopez Rega, who organized the squad as an irregular branch of his ministry. |
| Date dissolved: | Oct. 1, 1983 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | month |
| Details of Termination: | The group was particularly active under Isabel Perón, but continued to operate under the military dictatorship. After 1983, when the country became democratic again, members of Triple A created or joined right-wing terrorist cells and continued to commit atrocities, until they were chased down and dismantled by the new government. Around 2005, the first proper trial was initiated and in the following years most of the former leaders were arrested. |
| 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? | yes |
| 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: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| 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: | domestic government; foreign support |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces; ex soldiers |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; journalists; students |
| 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: | Triple A was part of Operation Condor in Argentina (Wikipedia). After the fall of Lopez Rega in 1975, the group lost part of its power and some of its members went to Spain to become involved in murders of Spanish leftists, while others stayed and continued to operate in Argentina. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the group was to fight guerillas and other political dissidents. The government founded the group in the light of increasing guerilla attacks (Wikipedia) and news sources report that it took advantage that Triple A could attack targets the army could not legally attack (i.e. civilians). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | deniability of violence |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Triple A killed and kidnapped political opposition, including journalists, professors, labor leaders and sympathizers of leftist terrorists. The military cooperated with the group because it could commit these crimes. Acting against leftist was explicitly stated in the founding act. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Many recruited members were former federal police offers who had been fired previously. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Until 1975 Triple A was allegedly led by José López Rega, then Minister of Social Welfare (Wikipedia). Triple A then was an irregular branch of the ministry of social welfare. 1975, military intelligence services established control over Triple A. The link to the army was established through a colonel. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.