Argentina: Whether Horacio Gomez was leader of the Mendoza chapter of the Children for Identity and Justice, Against Forgetting and Silence (Hijos por la Identidad y la Justicia, Contra el Olvido y el Silencio, HIJOS); whether he was arrested in February 1999 during a demonstration in Mendoza; whether police raided an HIJOS meeting held at his house in August 1999; whether he was hospitalized after being beaten by police in January 2000; whether he fled to France in February 2000 (1997 - May 2001)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 24 May 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ARG37184.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Argentina: Whether Horacio Gomez was leader of the Mendoza chapter of the Children for Identity and Justice, Against Forgetting and Silence (Hijos por la Identidad y la Justicia, Contra el Olvido y el Silencio, HIJOS); whether he was arrested in February 1999 during a demonstration in Mendoza; whether police raided an HIJOS meeting held at his house in August 1999; whether he was hospitalized after being beaten by police in January 2000; whether he fled to France in February 2000 (1997 - May 2001), 24 May 2001, ARG37184.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be0c28.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No mention of Horacio Gomez being involved in the activities of any chapter of the Children for Identity and Justice, Against Forgetting and Silence (Hijos por la Identidad y la Justicia, Contra el Olvido y el Silencio, HIJOS) could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In a 15 May 2001 interview, a member of the Mendoza chapter of HIJOS stated that Horacio Gomez had been an HIJOS member between 1995 and early 1997. The member further indicated that Gomez did not occupy a leadership position within the organization, adding that HIJOS is characterized by a non-hierarchical management structure. While the member stated that he and other members of HIJOS were unaware of whether or not Gomez had encountered problems with the police after he left the organization, he indicated that Gomez had experienced no such problems while he was an HIJOS member.
According to the member, there has been no explicit targeting of individuals affiliated with the Mendoza chapter of HIJOS through threats, harassment or violence. The member noted that in this respect the situation in Mendoza is significantly different than is the case in such localities as Córdoba and Buenos Aires, where members of the organization have experienced problems with the police.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Hijos por la Identidad y la Justicia, Contra el Olvido y el Silencio (HIJOS), Mendoza. 15 May 2001. Telephone interview with member.
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB databases.
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International.
Canal 9 Televida [Mendoza]. Sintesis de noticias. Aug. 2000-May 2001.
La Capital [Rosario]. 2000-2001.
Clarín [Buenos Aires]. 1999-2001.
Comisión de Familiares de Víctimas Indefensas de la Violence Social (COFAVI)
Coordinadora contra la Represión Policial y Institucional.
Cuyo Noticias [Mendoza]. Aug. 2000-Apr. 2001.
Diario Los Andes [Mendoza]. Feb.-May; Sept. 2000-May 2001.
Human Rights Watch.
La Nación [Buenos Aires]. 1999-2001.
