Jorge Rafael Videla was an Argentine military officer and dictator who was the 47th President of Argentina and as well as the 1st President of the National Reorganisation Process from 1976 to 1981. His rule, which was during the time of Operation Condor, was among the most infamous in Latin America during the Cold War due to its high level of human rights abuses and severe economic mismanagement.

Mercedes is a city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is located 100 km west from Buenos Aires and 30 km southwest of Luján. It is the administrative headquarters for the district (partido) of Mercedes as well as of the judicial district. The Catedral Basílica de Mercedes-Luján, located in the city, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mercedes-Luján.