Ezeiza massacre
The Ezeiza massacre (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈsejsa]) took place on June 20, 1973, at Puente 12, the intersection of General Ricchieri freeway (the Ezeiza Airport access) and Camino de Cintura (provincial route 4), some 10 km from Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| Ezeiza massacre | |
|---|---|
A person being pulled up on the platform where Perón would have talked. | |
| Location | Puente 12, 10 km on the access road from Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Coordinates | 34.722438°S 58.513419°W |
| Date | June 20, 1973 |
| Target | Left-wing Peronist masses |
Attack type | Sniper massacre |
| Weapons | Sniper rifles |
| Deaths | 13 (at least) |
| Injured | 365 (at least) |
| Perpetrators | Orthodox Peronism |
Peronist masses, including many young people, had gathered there to acclaim Juan Perón's definitive return from an 18-year exile in Spain. The police estimated three and a half million people had gathered at the airport. In his plane, Perón was accompanied by president Héctor Cámpora, a representative of Peronism's left wing, who had come to power on May 25, 1973, amid popular euphoria and a period of political turmoil. Cámpora was opposed to the Peronist right wing, declaring during his first speech that "the spilled blood will not be negotiated".
From Perón's platform, camouflaged snipers from the right-wing of Peronism opened fire on the crowd. The left-wing Peronist Youth and the Montoneros were targeted and trapped. At least 13 bodies were subsequently identified, and 365 were injured during the massacre.
According to Clarín newspaper, the real number is thought to be much higher. No official investigation was ever performed to confirm these higher estimates.