Some of Menem's close aides even suggested that the confessions were part of a campaign to hurt the President's bid for a second term in the upcoming May 14 elections. Despite Menem's efforts, however, the confessions and statements reopened a major public debate over the disappearances and the events of the 1970s. The issue recieved constant attention from the media for months. The testimonies had a great impact on the families of disappeared persons, and the human rights organizations pronounced themselves in favor of full disclosure. But that's not so, because he's going against history.
Society eventually demands to know what happened.
In this discussion, the role of the Catholic hierarchy during the repression was also called into question. He clearly stated that the Armed Forces bore institutional responsibility for these serious crimes, and that they were not simply acts of individual excess in the context of a dirty war, as was previously sometimes claimed by Army members. Moreover, contradicting the military's previous stance, he took the position that to obey criminal orders is a crime. He conceded that attempts by the government to control subversion should never have departed from legal methods. He also stated that the military coup of 1976 was a grave error and that the Argentine Armed Forces should never again interrupt the democratic process.