Day 90 – Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo
During the years of the military dictatorship, between 1976 and 1983, as many as 30,000 people were abducted by agents of the government. These “disappeared” – students, writers, and many ordinary civilians presumed to be dissidents – have yet to be acounted for, and are presumed dead.
For over 30 years, mothers of these unfortunate souls have campaigned to have their loved ones returned. Every Thursday, at 3pm, a group of these determined people march on the Plaza de Mayo, in front of the presidential palace, to seek justice for their families.
One 'madre' on the march
They have been marching, week in week out, for decades now, and today they marched once again.
I made my way to the Plaza de Mayo, a twenty minute walk from San Telmo, to witness this sombre spectacle in the bright autumn sunshine.
About 40 people, mainly women but a few older men and younger supporters, steadfastly made their way around a fountain in the square, repeatedly calling for full crimes of the government to be exposed. Many of the women carried boards around their necks with pictures of their sons. Meanwhile, names of the dead were read out by a woman on a loud speaker. Joining them was a smaller knot of older people marching seperately round the fountain. I presumed these to be “abuelos”, or grandparents, of the disappeared.
Meanwhile, I joined a small group ofinterested tourists trying to get good shots of the protesters as they performed their weekly demonstration. Clearly used to the attention, they didn’t seem to mind out cameras snapping away. Publicity seems to be their main weapon in their fight against what they see as a continuing injustice.
Here’s a wiki link that explains the background to the movement. It’s a fascinating and moving story. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo#Origins_of_the_movement
