BUENOS AIRES

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THE DISAPPEARED

During the reign of the junta, over 30,000 persons disappeared into the prisons and detention camps never to be heard from again. That is as large as the town of Trumbull. They were mainly college students or college teachers, activists for democracy and considered a threat by the dictatorship. They were imprisoned, tortured and finally drugged and taken for a final plane ride and dropped into the sea while still alive. Children born in captivity were sold or adopted by the soldiers. Their families never knew what happened.

One day two women marched in the Plaza protesting the lack of information. The following week another woman joined them and soon the mothers of the disappeared were marching in large groups. They were incredibly brave. One of the original mothers “disappeared”. They continued marching until the junta fell. They continued marching while the original trials were held and while some were imprisoned, many were granted amnesty. They continued marching when a general amnesty was granted and those imprisoned were released and they march until, finally, all amnesty was removed, those released from prison were re-incarcerated and the trials began again. Now, once a week a small number still march to remind people what happened so that it won’t happen again.

Since the advent of DNA testing, 110 children born in prison have been reunited with their grandmothers. I suspect the guards and soldiers never thought they would be caught.

Around the city there are markers on the sidewalk that commemorate the arrest of the disappeared with their names and the date of their disappearance. Under the new highway through the city are the photographs of those who disappeared. Argentineans are resolved never to forget what happened.

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