Olaf Scholz spent a second day in Buenos Aires on Sunday, visiting a memorial to those killed in the country's military dictatorship. He also toured a Volkswagen factory, and visited the distinctive La Boca district of Argentina's capital. 

While paying his respects to the victims of Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship at a memorial on the Rio de la Plata in Buenos Aires on Sunday, he drew a parallel with Iran's crackdown on protesters at present. 

Scholz said that visiting the memorial meant that he had to "think of the young people who are now being killed in Iran when they stand up for their freedom and for a better life." 

At the site, Scholz met with relatives of the victims, many of whom were not told of their loved ones' fate at the time. 

"The fact that dictatorship brings human suffering, oppression and death, that is what is very visible here — just as we are currently seeing it to be the case all over the world," he said. 

The chancellor added that what happened in Argentina was a warning not to take freedom for granted and a reminder to all countries that "it is our task to ensure that we leave such times behind us." 

Germany agrees to turn Chile's Colonia Dignidad into memorial

Scholz arrived in Chile on Sunday as the second stop on his tour of South America. 

During Scholz's visit, Germany and Chile agreed to turn the site of the former German sect Colonia Dignidad (Dignity Colony) into a memorial.

Scholz said that Berlin supported the measure and would "participate" in it accordingly.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric thanked Berlin for its readiness to "support the search of the truth."

"The Chilean state is fighting tirelessly for the whole truth and justice," he said.

Colonia Dignidad was founded in 1961 by German preacher Paul Schäfter after he left Germany, where he was facing child abuse accusations.

Many residents of the settlement were exploited and sexually abused, and dissidents to General Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship a number of dissidents were tortured and killed at the site.

The settlement has since renamed itself "Villa Baviera."

Scholz wants more trade between EU and Mercosur

On Saturday, Scholz had held talks with Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez, the highest-ranking appointment on his two-day schedule. 

He called for redoubled efforts to set up a free trade agreement between the EU and the South American trade bloc Mercosur. The deal had faltered at the national ratification stage after being agreed by bloc representatives.

Fernandez's government had said that EU protectionism was ultimately to blame for the breakdown. Meanwhile European parliaments like France and Germany's have not ratified the deal either following the outcry from from environmental and agricultural lobbies on issues like deforestation. 

Argentina is facing an economic crisis. Inflation was approaching 100% year-on-year by the end of 2022, dwarfing the highs of 10% that put such pressure on Europe last year. 

The country is struggling to keep to terms of a debt restructuring deal with the IMF, though it reached a deal for another tranche of emergency credit last December.

Scholz was expected in Brazil for the last and arguably the highest-profile leg of his trip by Monday. 

sdi, msh/dj, fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

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