Argentinian President Javier Milei announced that Argentina would be declassifying government archives related to Nazi activity in an effort to expose how war criminals escaped to the country following World War II.
The decision was made during a meeting with representatives from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international human rights organization that combats antisemitism.
The move will grant researchers, along with the public, access to historical documents that may shed new light on the escape networks that helped Nazis evade arrest and resettle in South America.
According to The Jewish Chronicle, historians estimate that Argentina offered refuge to roughly 5,000 Nazi war criminals, including notorious Nazi figures, Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele.
The newly released archives could also provide deeper insight into the extent of local support that enabled arrival of the fleeing Nazis and their protection.
The escape routes allowed thousands of Nazis to flee Europe to countries like Switzerland, Argentina, and Mexico.
Some of the documents may also reveal how the US used these networks to secretly relocate Nazi scientists across the Atlantic, enlisting them in major military, medical, and space research programs.
Commitment to transparency and historical accountability
President Milei’s initiative aligns with his broader commitment to government transparency and historical responsibility.
The declassified materials will be stored in Argentina’s General Archive of the Nation and made available for public and academic research.
This step mirrors a similar initiative launched in Israel earlier this year, when the State Archives created an online database granting access to thousands of pages from the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January.