Derecho humano a la verdad. El escrache como acto parrhesiástico

Abstract

This paper addresses the escrache (name originated in Argentina designating a demonstration in which activists go to the homes or workplaces of those who they want to condemn and publicly humiliate) as a new collective action, a part of our present cultural repertoire that appears in Argentina in the nineties. A “new social actor”: the hijos association, creators of the escrache , drove this reaction to the negative impact provoked by the impunity laws. hijos provided full meaning to the “Human Right to know the truth”, a right the Argentinian society, victim of the last civic-military dictatorship merits. The escrache is related to Foucault’s parrhesia as a veritable act to say the truth, to speak frankly, to make the State face the truth, even if it tries to hide or ignore the reality. This is done facing the dangers the exercise of the parrhesia implies. In fact, in this context the hijos members appear as the parrhesiasts par excellence .