Comisión Nacional sobre la Desaparición de Personas

(CONADEP)

   / National Commission on the Disappeared

   Also known as the Sábato Commission. A blueribbon panel charged with investigating the fate of those who disappeared in Argentina during the “dirty war.” Formed in 1983 after the return to democracy, CONADEP was asked to hear evidence and to report its findings. Its charge was limited to documenting cases and making recommendations. The task of assigning responsibility for what happened would fall to the courts. Of the 13 CONADEP members, President Raúl Alfonsín selected 10, including Ernesto Sábato, who headed the commission. These 10 individuals represented a cross section of Argentine society and politics. What they had in common was national and international respect and a commitment to human rights. The remaining three members were representatives of the Chamber of Deputies. (Both chambers of Congress had been asked to elect representatives, but only the Chamber of Deputies chose to do so.) Aided by staff and human-rights organizations, CONADEP collected thousands of depositions and testimonies. Its report, summarizing 50,000 pages of information, was published in Spanish in 1984 under the title Nunca más (Never Again), which became an instant best seller. In 1986 an English translation appeared under the title Nunca Más. The book documents 9,000 cases of desaparecidos (missing), though human-rights groups set the actual figure as high as 30,000.