After a few conversations with the friendly security guards, we finally gained access to the Club Atletico excavations. Once one of the more significant detention and torture centers in Buenos Aires, it was demolished in late 1977 to make room for a new freeway. However, in recent years excavations began to find what remained. A member of the Institute for Memory was on hand to point out what has been recovered and explain the ongoing work.

For more information on the history of Club Atletico, visit our page on the CCDTyEs of Buenos Aires. What follows are some pictures and brief comments from our visit:

The map of Club Atletico reveals the historians' best guess at what existed here, based on survivor testimony and the uncovered remains. The sections shaded pink have been fully excavated, while the yellow parts are still ongoing.

One of two memorials established within the former detention center, this is particularly potent when first seen from outside the chain-link fence surrounding the site. The sense of desperation is palpable, as the many humans held in Club Atletico struggle to escape. At the very least, there may now be a chance for the truth to achieve that.

This is a common image seen at the detention centers; another one is prominently displayed at El Olimpo. As is seen at a murder scene, the body has been removed but the crime remains.

The area in which the excavations have been completed has been outfitted with a platform for visitors, giving them access to the former prison cells.

The former elevator shaft is visible here. While it might seem inconsequential, this sort of discovery is critical, as it confirms the details independently provided by victims.

Pictures of the Club's victims are displayed. Note, though, the traffic passing immediately overhead.