January 1, Argentina Uncovers Hidden Nazi-Era Records

Wyatt’s Take

• Argentina declassified over 1,850 documents about Nazis hiding after WWII.
• Files reveal government cover-ups and hidden Nazi activities in South America.
• Newly found boxes hold more propaganda, set for public release.

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, released more than 1,850 documents exposing decades of government tracking of Nazi war criminals who fled to South America after World War II. These files detail efforts to uncover the locations and secrets of thousands of Nazis who escaped justice.

Much of the push to make these records public came thanks to the work of Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who pushed for their release. The Simon Wiesenthal Center credited him as a key advocate.

The documents, dating from the late 1950s to the 1980s, are now online in Argentina’s General Archive, including secret decrees spanning nearly fifty years.

These materials cover notorious figures like Adolf Eichmann, who designed the “Final Solution.” He hid in Buenos Aires under an alias until captured by Israeli agents in 1960.

Evidence in the files suggests Argentina’s old leftist government not only knew of Eichmann but may have protected him.

The files also track Josef Mengele, the infamous doctor from Auschwitz, who escaped from Argentina to Paraguay and Brazil, and Martin Bormann, Hitler’s close associate. Other names, like Ante Pavelic and Klaus Barbie, are found in these records as well.

Harley Lippman, a member of a U.S. heritage commission, said:

“There are numerous questions that these documents can bring light to, like why a sophisticated society, far from the plagues of European antisemitism such as Argentina’s, agreed to hide Nazi criminals and their secrets for so long. What happened to the U-boats loaded with Nazi gold brought to the country and given to the authorities?”

Lippman spoke about Argentina’s effort to declassify these files, stating:

“On the one hand, it is shameful that Argentina kept these documents a secret for so long, but on the other hand, we also need to acknowledge the enormous efforts being made by this government to make these documents public. While the historical significance is important, this is more important for Argentinians to be able to confront their demons as a society than for Jews.”

During a recent renovation at Argentina’s Supreme Court, workers found 83 boxes of Nazi documents untouched for over 80 years. These contained intercepted communications between Germany and Japan sent to Buenos Aires in 1941 and had been seized to protect Argentina’s neutrality during the war.

Upon discovery, officials found propaganda materials aimed at spreading Hitler’s ideology throughout South America. The boxes are being surveyed for content and are expected to be made public after digitization, according to Milei’s office.

Argentina’s cabinet chief, Guillermo Francos, said the release was ordered because:

“There is no reason to continue withholding that information, and it is no longer in the interest of the Republic of Argentina to keep such secrets.”

Lippman also noted:

“The fact that many people under 30 do not know or understand the meaning of the Holocaust is part of the reason why antisemitism is on the rise again. The Holocaust was the largest systematic industrial killing of humans in history. This happened only 80 years ago. Young people seem not to be able to grasp the scale of this, but these documents can bring back the memory of what the Holocaust really was.”

Linking the findings to rising antisemitism and misinformation in today’s world.

Stay informed on the history that shapes the present. Your knowledge keeps the truth alive for future generations.

Wyatt Matters

Middle America values truth and learning from history. Facing the facts, no matter how hard, sets an example for everyone who believes in justice and accountability.

Read the full report here