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Argentina to declassify Nazi files on how war criminals escaped justice
The documents will reveal the ‘ratlines’ used by the architects of the Holocaust to flee across the Atlantic
March 25, 2025 16:08
By, Jewish News Syndicate
1 min read
The documents will reveal the ‘ratlines’ used by the architects of the Holocaust to flee across the Atlantic
March 25, 2025 16:08ByJC Reporter, Jewish News Syndicate
Argentine President Javier Milei has announced the declassification of government archives related to Nazi activity in the country, aiming to reveal details about how fugitive war criminals fled to Argentina after the Second World War.
During a meeting with officials from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Milei confirmed that researchers and the public would soon gain access to the historical records.
The files are expected to shed light on the "ratlines" – escape networks used by Nazis to evade justice and resettle in South America. These networks saw thousands of Nazis escape Europe to countries like Switzerland, Argentina and Mexico. They were even used by the US to smuggle Nazi scientists over the Atlantic to take part in key projects in military development, medicine and space exploration.
Historians estimate that Argentina harboured around 5,000 war criminals, including high-profile figures such as Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele.
The newly available documents may provide fresh insights into the extent of local support that facilitated their arrival and protection.
The initiative aligns with Milei’s commitment to government transparency and historical accountability.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomed the move, calling it an important step toward justice.
He told the Times of Israel: “While some previous leaders promised full cooperation to get to the hard truths that involved Argentina’s past, Milei is the first to act with lightning speed to enable the SWC to uncover important pieces of the historic puzzle, especially as it related to involvement with Nazis before, during and after the Holocaust.
"These files will be instrumental in obtaining justice, which is instrumental to honouring the memory of those who suffered and died in the Holocaust.
"Especially in a post-October 7 world, those who financed, facilitated, or otherwise assisted these ratlines must be held accountable.”
The declassified materials will be housed in Argentina’s General Archive of the Nation and made available for public and academic research.
It comes after the State Archives in Israel created a searchable database allowing the public to read thousands of pages of records from Eichmann’s 1961 trial to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day in January.
Eichmann, often dubbed the architect of the Holocaust, was discovered by Nazi hunters in Argentina before being abducted by Shin Bet and brought to face a court. He was hanged in prison in 1962 following a conviction for crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes against the Jewish people.