Obama Says U.S. to Help Argentina ‘Heal’ From 1970s Dirty War

U.S. president plans to visit park commemorating era's victims
Obama, Macri speak in joint press conference in Buenos Aires

U.S. President Barack Obama and Argentinian President Mauricio Macri hold a joint press conference at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires on March 23, 2016.
Photographer: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

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By Angela Greiling Keane

March 23, 2016 at 4:42 PM UTC

Updated on

March 23, 2016 at 5:54 PM UTC

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President Barack Obama recognized the U.S. role in Argentina’s “Dirty War,” addressing a stain on the South American country’s history that carries heavy U.S. fingerprints without offering an explicit apology.

“We are absolutely determined to do our part as Argentina continues to heal and move forward as a nation,” Obama said at a press conference in Buenos Aires with Argentina’s president, Mauricio Macri. His visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of the 1976 military coup that led to the Dirty War.