Vargas Well

Introduction

To strengthen the province's tourism offering, the Tucumán Tourism Board is working with the Human Rights Secretariat to design a historical circuit that encourages the identification and visitation of sites and spaces where crimes against humanity were committed or planned, both during Operation Independence and the last civil-military dictatorship (1975-1983) and at other times in our history.

These actions, which involved the incorporation of signage and digital support to provide relevant information, are part of the public policies of Memory, Truth and Justice that symbolize the commitment of the democratic State to publicize and condemn crimes against humanity, promote the prosecution of those responsible and recognize victims, survivors and their families.

These interventions in public space combine support and reparation for victims of illegal repression and the promotion of community participation in the construction of memory so that such harmful events do not happen again.

Vargas Well

The Vargas Well is the clandestine burial pit with the highest number of identifications in all of Argentina. It is located in the city of Tafí Viejo and was in operation during the state terrorism.

The well was originally built to provide water to the old steam locomotives. It was 40 meters deep and it was within a private property belonging to Antonio Vargas.

In 2001, the site was surveyed based on the testimonies of three witnesses who indicated that it was used to hide the bodies of people who had been kidnapped and murdered during Operation Independence and the military dictatorship.

The report with the complaints about the existence of a clandestine burial pit was presented to the Federal Court of Tucumán, which led to an expert report in April 2002 and the beginning of the investigation there.

So far, the Archaeology, Memory, and Identity Collective of Tucumán (CAMIT) has recovered 149 bone remains from the Vargas Well, of which 118 have already been identified by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF).

In December 2015, the Well was designated as a clandestine burial site that operated during state terrorism.