Rodolfo Almirón
Encyclopedia
Rodolfo Almirón Sena was a former Argentine police officer and a leader of an extreme right-wing death squad known as the Triple A, operating in Argentina during the mid-1970s. The group is held responsible for 1,500 murders of government opponents, and Almirón was charged with being one of the chiefs and organizers of the squad.
, a small, riverside town in Chaco Province
, Argentina. Almirón was incorporated into the Argentine Federal Police (with jurisdiction over the city of Buenos Aires
) around 1960. A member of the robbery task force, Almirón became an associate of the "Prieto gang," one of the most notrious in the Greater Buenos Aires
area during the early 1960s. He and other policemen were indicted in 1964 for obstruction of justice
in the murders of numerous Prieto gang members; following the 1965 death of Prieto himself in a local jail, however, Almirón and his co-defendants were acquitted. Almirón was also involved in the June 1964 death of a U.S. military officer, who received a fatal gunshot during an altercation with Almirón outside a dance hall in Olivos
, an upscale suburb of Buenos Aires. An acquaintance of Almirón's pled guilty to the shooting, later determined to have been Almirón's doing.
He was dismissed from the Argentine Federal Police in 1970 because of ongoing criminal associations. He was later reinstated by José López Rega on the latter's return to Argentina in 1973, however, when Almirón was attached to his and Isabel Perón's personal guard.
After fleeing the country in 1975 with the help of José López Rega
(the founder of the Triple A and close adviser to populist leader Juan Perón
), he settled in Spain as Manuel Fraga Iribarne
's chief of personal security .
He was present during the Montejurra 1976 massacre against left-wing Carlists, in which Stefano Delle Chiaie
had also participated. According to Spanish lawyer José Angel Pérez Nievas, it is also "probable that Almirón participated — along with Stefano Delle Chiaie and Augusto Canchi — in the 1980 bombing of the Bologna train station
." The lawyer presented to the Spanish judicial system, in the name of the Partido Carlista de Euskalherria-EKA (victims of the Montejurra events), a demand to have him also judged for the Montejurra crimes. He was later a bodyguard of Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González
and a training officer in the Spanish Presidential Guard.
Almirón had first been located in Spain in 1983 working for Manuel Fraga's security, which raised public indignation and his subsequent dismissal. His presence in Spain was kept secret until 2006 in order to protect the Popular Alliance
's image, precursor of the current conservative Partido Popular
. El Mundo newspaper located him in December 2006, living in Torrent
in a flat paid by the Comunidad Valenciana
region, and interviewed him on December 17.
He was arrested in Spain on December 29, 2006, on murder charges. Tried in Argentina, after an Argentine judge charged him of crimes against humanity (exempt from statutes of limitations
), he was accused of the murder of Argentine Congressman Rodolfo Ortega Peña, former Buenos Aires Provincial Police
assistant chief Julio Troxler, university professor Silvio Frondizi
(brother of Arturo Frondizi
, former Argentine President) and Professor Frondizi's son-in-law, Luis Ángel Mendiburu. An earlier stroke
made him incapable of providing testimony or standing for cross-examination
, however, and his trial remained suspended when he died in an Ezeiza prison on June 5, 2009.
Life and times
Almirón was born in 1936 in Puerto BermejoPuerto Bermejo
Puerto Bermejo is a village and municipality in Chaco Province in northern Argentina.-References:...
, a small, riverside town in Chaco Province
Chaco Province
Chaco is an Argentine province located in the north of the country, near the border with Paraguay. Its capital is Resistencia on the Paraná River opposite the city of Corrientes...
, Argentina. Almirón was incorporated into the Argentine Federal Police (with jurisdiction over the city of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
) around 1960. A member of the robbery task force, Almirón became an associate of the "Prieto gang," one of the most notrious in the Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...
area during the early 1960s. He and other policemen were indicted in 1964 for obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
in the murders of numerous Prieto gang members; following the 1965 death of Prieto himself in a local jail, however, Almirón and his co-defendants were acquitted. Almirón was also involved in the June 1964 death of a U.S. military officer, who received a fatal gunshot during an altercation with Almirón outside a dance hall in Olivos
Olivos, Buenos Aires
Olivos is an Argentine city in Vicente López Partido in the Province of Buenos Aires and a suburb within the Greater Buenos Aires metro area....
, an upscale suburb of Buenos Aires. An acquaintance of Almirón's pled guilty to the shooting, later determined to have been Almirón's doing.
He was dismissed from the Argentine Federal Police in 1970 because of ongoing criminal associations. He was later reinstated by José López Rega on the latter's return to Argentina in 1973, however, when Almirón was attached to his and Isabel Perón's personal guard.
After fleeing the country in 1975 with the help of José López Rega
José López Rega
José López Rega was Argentina's Minister of Social Welfare during the Peronist government started in 1973 by Juan Perón and continued after Perón's death in 1974 by his third wife and vice-president, Isabel Martínez de Perón , until the coup d'etat of 1976 that initiated the so-called National...
(the founder of the Triple A and close adviser to populist leader Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
), he settled in Spain as Manuel Fraga Iribarne
Manuel Fraga Iribarne
Manuel Fraga Iribarne is a Spanish People's Party politician. Fraga's career as one of the key political figures in Spain straddles both General Francisco Franco's dictatorial regime and the subsequent transition to democracy. He served as the President of the Xunta of Galicia from 1990 to 2005...
's chief of personal security .
He was present during the Montejurra 1976 massacre against left-wing Carlists, in which Stefano Delle Chiaie
Stefano Delle Chiaie
Stefano Delle Chiaie is a neofascist Italian activist . He went on to become a wanted man worldwide, suspect to be involved in Italy's strategy of tension, but was acquitted. He was a friend of Licio Gelli, grandmaster of P2 masonic lodge...
had also participated. According to Spanish lawyer José Angel Pérez Nievas, it is also "probable that Almirón participated — along with Stefano Delle Chiaie and Augusto Canchi — in the 1980 bombing of the Bologna train station
Bologna massacre
The Bologna massacre was a terrorist bombing of the Central Station at Bologna, Italy, on the morning of Saturday, 2 August 1980, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200. The attack has been materially attributed to the neo-fascist terrorist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari...
." The lawyer presented to the Spanish judicial system, in the name of the Partido Carlista de Euskalherria-EKA (victims of the Montejurra events), a demand to have him also judged for the Montejurra crimes. He was later a bodyguard of Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González
Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.-Early life:Felipe was...
and a training officer in the Spanish Presidential Guard.
Almirón had first been located in Spain in 1983 working for Manuel Fraga's security, which raised public indignation and his subsequent dismissal. His presence in Spain was kept secret until 2006 in order to protect the Popular Alliance
Popular Alliance (Spain)
The People's Alliance was a electoral coalition, and later a political party, founded in 1976 by Manuel Fraga along with six other former Francoist ministers.- History :...
's image, precursor of the current conservative Partido Popular
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
. El Mundo newspaper located him in December 2006, living in Torrent
Torrent, Valencia
Torrent is a city located within the metropolitan area of the city of Valencia, Spain. It is the largest municipality of the Horta Sud comarca, with 79,843 inhabitants . It is situated some 7 km from Valencia city proper, to which it is connected via the...
in a flat paid by the Comunidad Valenciana
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
region, and interviewed him on December 17.
He was arrested in Spain on December 29, 2006, on murder charges. Tried in Argentina, after an Argentine judge charged him of crimes against humanity (exempt from statutes of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
), he was accused of the murder of Argentine Congressman Rodolfo Ortega Peña, former Buenos Aires Provincial Police
Buenos Aires Provincial Police
The Buenos Aires Provincial Police is the police service responsible for policing the Province of Buenos Aires, in Argentina....
assistant chief Julio Troxler, university professor Silvio Frondizi
Silvio Frondizi
Silvio Frondizi was an Argentine intellectual and lawyer, brother of President Arturo Frondizi and of the philosopher Risieri Frondizi....
(brother of Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ercoli was the President of Argentina between May 1, 1958, and March 29, 1962, for the Intransigent Radical Civic Union.-Early life:Frondizi was born in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province...
, former Argentine President) and Professor Frondizi's son-in-law, Luis Ángel Mendiburu. An earlier stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
made him incapable of providing testimony or standing for cross-examination
Cross-examination
In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness called by one's opponent. It is preceded by direct examination and may be followed by a redirect .- Variations by Jurisdiction :In...
, however, and his trial remained suspended when he died in an Ezeiza prison on June 5, 2009.
External links
- BBC news, 29 December 2006: Argentine 'death squad' man held