Mis Aventuras en Buenos Aires: Madres de Plaza de Mayo

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo is an association of Argentine mothers whose children were "disappeared" during the Dirty War of the military dictatorship, between 1976 and 1983. They organized while trying to learn what had happened to their children, and began to march in 1977 at the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, in front of the Casa Rosada presidential palace, in public defiance of the government's state terrorism intended to silence all opposition.

Many of the disappeared were believed to be abducted by agents of the Argentine government during the military dictatorship and were often tortured and killed before their bodies were disposed in rural areas, the river, or unmarked graves. The ones who disappeared were often in opposition to the government, or generally considered a threat to the dictatorship. Most women captured at the time that were pregnant were kept in concentration camps until their babies were born. Once born, the children were given in illegal adoptions to military families (or anyone is positive association with the dictatorship). The mothers were generally believed to be killed. Many of these disappearances have gone unaccounted for, and many of those responsible for these tragedies have yet to be punished.

I had briefly heard of the mothers before coming to Buenos Aires and it was a topic I frequently asked locals their opinion on. When I had first heard the story, the dictatorship seemed like it was so long ago.

This past Thursday I had the opportunity to see & march with the mothers.

It wasn't until I saw the mothers in person and received a little more in-depth story did I realize how fresh this wound from the dictatorship still is for the Argentine people. The current democracy has only been around for 30 years, most people in Argentina still remember life during the dictatorship.

Something that has really impressed me about people here in Buenos Aires is their knowledge on current events and politics. Not only can almost any porteno tell you about the current events in their politics, but they can give you their opinion on it as well (and they usually will). Back home not only would I say the majority of people are really uneducated but also apathetic to what is going on in our politics and current events. Whenever you hear any story from the dictatorship it's really no wonder why the Argentines love taking advantage of their political voice… because they still remember a time when they were forbidden to.

It was an honor to march with the mothers, even if it was only for a short time due to the poring rain. It was probably the first time in my life I ever participated in a political rally, but I wanted to show the mothers that I support their efforts for answers and justice on the disappearance of their children.

If you want to learn more about the mothers, click here to visit their website