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ARGENTINA Comisión para el Esclarecimiento de las Actividades del Nazismo en la Republica Argentina (CEANA) [Commission of Enquiry into the Activities of Nazism in Argentina (CEANA)] CEANA was established in May 1997 by President Carlos Menem to determine the number of war criminals who entered Argentina and the quantity of victims’ assets that were brought to Argentina. CEANA also investigates Nazi routes of escape to Argentina, German naval activities in Argentine waters, German-Argentine military collaboration, Argentine Central Bank transactions with the Nazis and their investments, and other related issues. CEANA is composed of three separate bodies: an international panel, including local and foreign historians; an advisory committee, including local and foreign representatives; and an academic committee. Contact: Lic. Ignacio Klich, Academic Coordinator Esmeralda 1212, Annex C, 4th Floor 1007 Buenos Aires Argentina Telephone: +54 11 4819 7000, ext. 8274 Fax: +54 11 4819 7000, ext. 8162 E-mail: ceana@mrecic.gov.ar http://www.ceana.org.ar President Carlos Menem’s Investigation In 1992, President Carlos Menem ordered an investigation into the pro-Fascist regime of Juan Peron, who allowed Nazis fleeing Germany to enter Argentina. President Menem announced that Argentina would release files on Nazis who fled there. An American document from April 1945 estimated that Nazis secretly sent more than $1 billion to be invested in Argentina. In December 1996, the Argentine Central Bank handed vital information on bank accounts to Jewish researchers, detailing funds transferred from banks in Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal between 1939 and 1949. In March 1997, President Menem ordered the Central Bank archives to be opened for investigation of Nazi funds. Official Statement of President Fernando de la Rua In June 2000, Argentine president Fernando de la Rua expressed contrition for the role of his country in harboring Nazi fugitives: “I want to ask pardon, in the name of the country, for the Nazis who hid among us. In today’s world, I think one must examine the past so it cannot be repeated ever again.” He also expressed regrets that Argentina shut its doors to Jews fleeing Nazi-dominated Europe. Conferences Argentina participated in the London Conference on Nazi Gold.
http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eur/holocaust/heac.html Argentina participated in the Vilnius International Forum on Holocaust Era Looted Cultural Assets. Proceedings of the Vilnius Forum can be found at http://www.vilniusforum.lt/proceedings/index.htm |