Today marks the 30th anniversary of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center bombing in Buenos Aires. To commemorate the anniversary, the Co-Chairs of the Latino-Jewish Caucus released a statement to demand justice and accountability for those responsible for the attack.
The Co-Chairs of the Latino-Jewish Caucus, which includes Florida Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart (R), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales (R), and New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D), issued a statement, remembering that "it has been 30 years since the AMIA bombing, which was the deadliest terror attack in Argentina's history and the deadliest antisemitic attack outside Israel since the Holocaust."
The attack consisted of a bomb-laden van being driven into the AMIA building. It was detonated, and 85 people were killed with another 300 people injured. To date, the bombing is listed as the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina's history.
Subsequently, the bombing has received criticism and accusations of cover-ups after all the suspects were found to be not guilty in September 2004. In August 2005, the federal judge who was in charge of the case, Judge Juan José Galeano, was impeached and removed from office on a charge of "serious irregularities" due to mishandling the investigation.
Because of this, the lawmakers argue that "justice for the victims has not yet been achieved."
"Evidence uncovered by Argentina's judicial system demonstrates the involvement of Iran and Hezbollah. As leaders of the Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus, we are proud to have introduced a resolution expressing the United States' solidarity with Argentina's Jewish community and underscoring our commitment to honor the AMIA victims and pursue justice on their behalf."
The statement comes at a time when antisemitic attacks have been on the rise in the United States and around the world. With a rise in antisemitism striking college campuses, Democrats and Republicans have been at odds on the subject.
