Argentina’s senate OKs compensation for AMIA victims

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s Senate unanimously approved a bill that offers one-time compensation to the families of the 85 people killed in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center.

Under the bill approved Wednesday without debate, the compensation will be about $170,000 for each fatality in the Buenos Aires attack.

Also, for those whose injuries were “extremely grievous,” the reparation is reduced to 70 percent of the amount, and those with “grievous” injuries will receive 60 percent of the amount.

The bill advances to the Parliament’s lower chamber. If it is approved there, it will become law.

In June 2011, the Argentina Parliament unanimously ruled that the relatives of victims of the 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires would receive compensation from the state. Under that law, the families received $225,000 in the case of death, and $158,000 for dramatic and severe injuries, for a total of $40 million from the Argentine government.

The perpetrators of both crimes have never been caught.