Fifty years after a brutal military coup plunged Argentina into darkness, a chilling lesson emerges from its past. Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former prosecutor who led the nation’s landmark “Nuremberg Trial,” argues that confronting violence with justice – not war – is the only path to prevent its terrifying multiplication on a global scale.
The 1970s in Argentina were consumed by escalating political turmoil. Guerrilla groups clashed with a state increasingly defined by repression, a situation that exploded after the 1976 coup led by General Jorge Rafael Videla. What followed was a systematic campaign of terror: forced disappearances, unspeakable torture, and the heartbreaking theft of newborns from their detained parents. An estimated 30,000 people vanished, and around 500 babies were stolen, leaving a legacy of pain that echoes to this day.
In 1985, a new Argentina, reborn in democracy, dared to look its past in the eye. Moreno Ocampo served as a deputy prosecutor in the Trial of the Juntas, a groundbreaking prosecution of the military leaders responsible for crimes against humanity. This trial wasn’t just about accountability; it was a defiant statement that even in the wake of unimaginable horror, the rule of law could prevail.
That trial became a blueprint for international criminal justice, directly influencing the creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002. Moreno Ocampo later served as its chief prosecutor, carrying the torch of accountability onto the world stage. Yet, he now observes a disturbing trend: the world seems to be forgetting the lessons Argentina so painfully learned.
Argentina’s success, Moreno Ocampo insists, lay in its refusal to view its adversaries as simply “enemies” to be eliminated. Instead, a political consensus emerged, embracing a radical idea: justice, not retribution. “Argentina showed that it is possible to confront the past with justice, not revenge,” he explains, a sentiment that feels increasingly urgent in a world teetering on the brink.
The ICC, envisioned as a safeguard against the limitations of global power politics, remains imperfect. Major nations like the United States, Russia, and China remain outside its reach. Moreno Ocampo laments that the world is increasingly turning away from this crucial framework, choosing the destructive path of war.
He describes the ICC as a “global Wi-Fi” – effective only when countries choose to connect. But as conflicts rage in Ukraine, Gaza, and beyond, the old logic of war is resurfacing, fueled by a dangerous belief that violence can solve complex problems. Moreno Ocampo argues that war is not a solution, but the “mother crime” that breeds all others.
The core of the problem, he believes, is a fundamental choice of method. Do we treat those who commit violence as enemies to be destroyed, or as individuals to be investigated and judged, with their rights respected? In 1985, Argentina chose the latter, offering the military junta something their victims never received: a fair trial.
Moreno Ocampo traces the resurgence of war as a primary conflict resolution tool back to the aftermath of 9/11, when the United States opted to pursue Osama bin Laden as a military target rather than a criminal to be brought to justice. This decision, he argues, proved disastrous, prolonging the conflict and ultimately failing to achieve its objectives.
Similar patterns, he points out, have played out in Iraq and other conflicts. The United States, despite repeated failures, seems unable to learn from its experiences. This flawed logic is now visible in the Middle East, where opposing forces seek to eliminate each other, rather than find a path to coexistence. “When projects appear that aim to exclude or eliminate the other, that inevitably leads to war,” he warns.
The current international system, with its inherent limitations, exacerbates this dangerous trend. In the Middle East, opposing sides are locked in mutually exclusive projects, leaving no room for compromise. The aftermath of the October 7th attacks, he notes, saw widespread condemnation of Hamas, but the subsequent military response only deepened the humanitarian crisis, leaving Hamas firmly in power.
This, for Moreno Ocampo, is a stark illustration of a broader failure: the existence of justice mechanisms that are simply ignored in favor of the destructive impulse of war. He issues a stark warning: in a world armed with nuclear weapons and advanced technology, this path leads to catastrophe.
Echoing Albert Einstein’s chilling prediction, Moreno Ocampo suggests that future wars will be fought with primitive weapons, a grim consequence of a world destroyed by its own aggression. Argentina’s experience, however, offers a glimmer of hope – a testament to the power of justice as a shield against the relentless cycle of violence.
“The world is returning to the logic of war to resolve conflicts, and that can lead us to a catastrophe,” he concludes. The lesson from Argentina is clear: choose justice, or risk everything.
