The coup d'état of March 24, 1976, established a regime of state terrorism based on the forced disappearance of the opposition and the imposition of an atmosphere of terror designed to avoid complaints. At that time, the family members of the disappeared were completely defenceless and powerless, as neither any of the world's democracies, nor the Catholic Church, nor international humanitarian organisations were ready to condemn the atrocities committed by the military regime and on the contrary even cooperated with this illegal repression in some cases. Nor was it possible to call on the judiciary system for help.