Argentina's "Death Flights": When People Were Thrown Out Of Planes

A chilling reminder of Argentina's violent military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983 has resurfaced on the big screen with the documentary ‘Traslados' (Transferred). The film sheds light on the haunting practice of ‘death flights,' where thousands of dissidents were rounded up and thrown out of planes, often alive, into the River Plate and the Atlantic Ocean.

This week, a packed crowd at a theatre in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, saw one of the first screenings of the film, which brought both survivors and younger generations face to face with a past many would prefer to forget.

What were the ‘death flights'?

The term ‘death flights' refers to brutal executions by Argentina's military dictatorship. Those considered enemies, including activists and intellectuals, of the regime were told they were being “transferred” to another location. Instead, they were tortured and taken aboard military aircraft.

Mid-flight, they were thrown from the planes, many still alive, into the sea or the River Plate, where they would drown or die due to the impact. The fate of thousands remains a mystery; their bodies were never recovered. What's been described by many as "state-sponsored terrorism" was a key tactic in silencing dissent during Argentina's “Dirty War.”

‘Traslados' documentary

Directed by Nicolas Gil Lavedra, ‘Traslados' – the 90-minute documentary – brings together testimonies from survivors, archived material and dramatised reenactments to present the horrors of the death flights. According to Lavedra, ‘Traslados' “puts evidence on the table, brings together all the pieces and everything known...about the death flights.”

“There are no partisan or subjective opinions, there are facts and there is evidence,” Lavedra told AFP.

He aimed to present a clear and unbiased account of the atrocities committed during the dictatorship, an era when 30,000 people were killed or disappeared, according to human rights organisations. One of the central stories featured in ‘Traslados' is that of Esther Ballestrino, Azucena Villaflor, and Maria Ponce, founders of the “Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo” — a group that continues to fight for justice for the disappeared. Along with French nuns Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, and seven other activists, they were abducted and killed in one of the death flights on December 14, 1977.

The documentary comes while Argentina is still grappling with its dark history. Controversy erupted earlier this year when lawmakers from President Javier Milei's party visited former military officers convicted of crimes against humanity, including Alfredo Astiz, the man who infiltrated the ‘Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo' and identified the women who were later killed.

The documentary's release has reignited calls for justice and remembrance. For Lavedra, this is more than revisiting history — it's about shaping the present. He said, “The only way we have to heal that wound is with justice, truth and memory.”

His connection to the subject runs deep, as his father presided over post-dictatorship trials, and he has previously directed a film on human rights activist Estela de Carlotto, president of the ‘Mothers' group.

Argentina's military dictatorship

Argentina's military dictatorship remains one of the most brutal in Latin American history. Torture, forced disappearances, and state-sanctioned murders were used to suppress any form of dissent. As the military sought to maintain power, the people of Argentina lived in constant fear, unsure of who among them might vanish next.
The ‘death flights' represent one of the most horrific tactics of this regime, and many of the victims were never identified.

For younger Argentines, many of whom were born long after the dictatorship, ‘Traslados' provides a stark reminder of the country's brutal past.