Yesterday, on a historic occasion, the relatives of 90 soldiers fallen in Malvinas who remained unidentified for 36 years were finally able to honour the memory of their loved ones in front of the commemorative plaques identifying them by name and surname in Darwin cemetery.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry and the Secretariat for Human Rights and Cultural Pluralism of the Argentine Republic welcome their joint work on the organization of the logistic aspects of the visit alongside the Commission of Relatives of the Fallen in the Malvinas and South Atlantic Islands, the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology and the British Embassy in Buenos Aires, with the collaboration of Corporación América.
The delegation of 250 people arrived in the archipelago very early, was supported by the inhabitants of the Islands at all times and received the respect of members of the armed forces and bagpipers who paid military honours, as well as of the priests who headed the event. The hours spent in Darwin cemetery were a highly emotional time for the entire delegation, as well as a moment of grief and contemplation which will be forever etched in the memory of all participants.
The Argentine Government owed a historical debt which began to be honoured with the Humanitarian Project Plan, which facilitated the identification of the remains of the fallen soldiers. This unprecedented humanitarian mission was the result of the progress and advances made in the bilateral relationship between Argentina and the United Kingdom promoted by the Argentine Government, which created the necessary conditions for both countries to entrust the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with the identification of the fallen, who were buried in Darwin cemetery as "Argentine Soldier Known Only unto God".
The collection of the DNA samples of unidentified soldiers was carried out by the ICRC in the Malvinas Islands, with all due respect and care, between June and August 2017. Once collected, the DNA samples were sent to the laboratory run by the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (EAAF) in the province of Córdoba, where they were compared to the samples from the relatives who gave their consent to participate in the identification process.
On 1 December 2017, the Red Cross presented its final identification reports to both Governments, which were disclosed to the relatives concerned by a team headed by the Secretariat for Human Rights, during the first quarter of 2018.
It bears noting that the genetic profiles of unidentified soldiers will be stored in the EAAF laboratory for future new identifications of biological samples, should any relatives who did not participate in this process give their consent to do so.
Thus, the Argentine Government, on the basis of constructive dialogue, performed much more than a symbolic act: it achieved an important act of justice for those who gave their lives in defence of our country, as well as for their loved ones.
The Argentine Government, through the Argentine Foreign Ministry, wishes to thank the relatives for their trust, as well as all actors who made this historic event possible, for their participation and hard work.
Press release No. 120/18