# Argentine forensic identification of disappeared persons

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/argentine-forensic-identification-of-disappeared-persons
> Updated: 2026-10-19T17:30:29.000Z. Sources: 19. Developments: 3.

The Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) continues to identify remains of individuals disappeared during the country’s last civic-military dictatorship.

In Mendoza, the remains of Carlos Simón Poblete, who was kidnapped in April 1977, were identified after 47 years. Poblete had been buried as an unidentified individual in the Mendoza Municipal Cemetery; his identity was confirmed following genetic testing using a blood sample provided by his daughter. This identification marks the fourth person identified within that specific cemetery.

In Tucumán, forensic efforts identified the remains of Carlos Rafael Medina González, a 20-year-old student who disappeared in April 1976. Medina González was abducted from his home on April 15, 1976, shortly after the military coup. His remains were recovered from the Pozo de Vargas in Tafí Viejo, a site described as the largest clandestine mass grave in Argentina, consisting of a circular structure measuring three meters in diameter and 37 meters deep.

The recovery process at Pozo de Vargas, conducted by groups such as the Colectivo de Arqueología, Memoria e Identidad de Tucumán (CAMIT), has been complicated by the fragmented nature of the remains, involving approximately 38,000 bone fragments. Genetic identification of Medina González was achieved using blood samples provided by his siblings, Silvia and Jorge. This identification brings the total number of formally identified individuals at the Pozo de Vargas site to 122, out of at least 149 people found there. Federal Judge Guillermo Díaz Martínez notified the family of the identification, and the remains are to be returned for a memorial ceremony and final burial.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-19: Carlos Rafael Medina identified in Tucumán mass grave

Forensic experts have identified the remains of Carlos Rafael Medina, a university student kidnapped in 1976 during Argentina's military dictatorship, recovered from the Pozo de Vargas mass grave.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/carlos-rafael-medina-identified-in-tucumn-mass-grave

### 2026-10-16: Tucumán: Remains of 1976 disappeared student identified

Forensic experts have identified the remains of Carlos Rafael Medina González, a student disappeared in 1976, recovered from Argentina's largest clandestine grave, the Pozo de Vargas.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tucumn-remains-of-1976-disappeared-student-identified

### 2026-10-01: Carlos Simón Poblete identified after 47 years of disappearance

The EAAF has identified Carlos Simón Poblete, a man disappeared in 1977 during Argentina's military dictatorship, using genetic samples provided by his daughter.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/carlos-simn-poblete-identified-after-47-years-of-disappearance

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Cite as: Argentine forensic identification of disappeared persons. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/argentine-forensic-identification-of-disappeared-persons