Human rights undersecretary resigns amid controversy over disappeared

Human Rights Undersecretary Alberto Baños has resigned from his position, sources from both the justice ministry and human rights organizations confirmed to the Herald.  The resignation comes weeks after Baños denied before the United Nations’ Committee Against Torture that 30,000 people disappeared during the last military dictatorship in Argentina. He also accused Argentine human rights organizations, many of which are formed by the families of those victims, of being “corrupt.” Baños’ departure has not been formally announced yet by him or the government, and sources from human rights organizations told the Herald it remains unclear who could replace him. A source from the justice ministry said that Baños’ departure was agreed upon with Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona. The source said that Baños had retired from practicing law in 2023 but accepted when Cúneo Libarona offered him the position due to their years-long good relationship. “It’s been two years, and it’s a very demanding position. He just wants to be calm now and go on vacation,” the source said, adding that they are “happy” with Baños’ performance leading the undersecretariat. The source added that Cúneo Libarona and his team have several options for who could replace him. Baños will continue in his post until his replacement is confirmed. Who is Alberto Baños Baños was initially appointed as human rights secretary in December 2023, right after President Javier Milei took office.  Last May, the department was demoted to an undersecretary within the justice ministry.  Baños’s appointment caused concern within the human rights community from the start.  Formerly a judge, he was in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of Buenos Aires City police officer Arshak Karhanyan, who has been missing since 2019. Rights organizations have questioned the lack of significant developments in the investigation and Baños’ decision to keep the police force as part of the investigation despite a number of irregularities committed by them. During his time as human rights head, Baños ordered severe budget cuts and hundreds of layoffs, many of which were announced in late 2024, between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Workers said the layoffs endangered the operation of memory sites and museums throughout the country. Around that time, he also shut down the Haroldo Conti Cultural Center that functioned within the ex-ESMA compound, a former clandestine center of detention and torture where several human rights organizations now run museums and offices and offer diverse cultural activities. On several occasions, the Baños administration called in the police to prevent those who had been laid off from accessing their former workplace and to control who could go inside the buildings in the ex-ESMA compound.  These situations made his relationship with the organizations turn increasingly tense. Baños at the UN Baños recently made headlines because of his statements at the UN. In mid-November, he became the first Argentine human rights official to claim before that organization that the number of 30,000 disappeared — the official estimate used for decades to calculate the victims of the dictatorship — is “false.” He also called human rights organizations focused on those victims “corrupt.” The UN hearing where Baños made those comments had been called by the Committee Against Torture (CAT) to analyze reports from Argentine organizations that alerted about a rise of repression in public spaces, criminalization, and arrests during the Milei government.  Baños defended the official policies and denied the accusations. A few days after that, he also took part in a hearing at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) with journalists and press organizations who denounced attacks and a decline in press freedom during the Milei administration. Baños said that the aggressions, injuries, or arrests of journalists during protests reported by the organizations were “isolated events” and not targeted persecution, something IACHR experts contested.