RIGHTS-ARGENTINA: ‘Plaza de Mayo’ Grandmothers to Meet Pope

By Marcela Valente Reprint | | Print |

Marcela Valente

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 20 1997 (IPS) - The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo – the Argentine group searching for children abducted by the military during the dictatorship – will meet with the Pope Wednesday to ask for his support.

Some 300 children of political prisoners, many born while their mothers were in prison, were kidnapped by the military and illegally adopted under the regime which controlled the country from 1976 to 1983.

The Grandmothers are celebrating their 20th anniversary of trying to trace the lost children this week, and group leaders, Estela Carloto and Rosa Rosinblit, will be asking John Paul II to intercede for the children still unaware of their real identities.

In an interview with IPS, group secretary, Abel Madariaga said the Pope’s agreeing to the audience meant “recognition for the work of the grandmothers.”

Less than a month ago, the grandmothers caught the attention of Hillary Clinton, wife of US President Bill Clinton, who met with them in Buenos Aires during her tour of South America, and was visibly moved by the tales of the lost children and grandchildren.

The grandmothers are also mothers of the disappeared, and this faction split off from the mothers of the Plaza de Mayo 20 years ago to search for children taken into military custody with their parents, or born in the secret prisons.

So far 57 of these children have been found. Most of them were living with members of the security forces, and are now young adults aged between 17 and 25 years old.

Human rights groups in Argentina have been campaigning for information on some 30,000 disappeared for more than two decades, although official estimates quote only 11,000.

Despite their efforts, they have been unable to find out the truth of the fate of their relatives. Confessions by repentant members of the military revealed many were murdered and their bodies thrown into the sea.

However, the grandmothers have achieved part of their aims, locating the 57 lost children and giving them back their real identities with the help of the Genetic Data Base they created.

Not all the children discovered have returned to their blood relatives. In a few cases they were adopted by people unaware of their circumstances and have chosen to remain with their adoptive parents, while forming links with blood relations – mainly grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

The grandmothers have had other triumphs. In late 1996, a group of these women presented a suit against former high-ranking officials of the dictatorship, including former Commander Reynaldo Bignone and former Interior Minister Albano Harguindeguy.

This complaint was lodged 20 years late, as evidence for the crime had been difficult to locate. When the members of the military had been tried in 1985, the courts ruled there was no evidence of kidnapping.

However, in the intervening years, the grandmothers have acquired documents proving the army had a set procedure for dealing with prisoners’ children.

“We are now in the position to show the kidnapping was carried out in a systematic, planned manner,” said Carloto in 1996.

The laws of the “full stop” (Punto final) and due obedience, which freed thousands of lower ranking officials who participated in the illegal repression from trial in 1987, explicitly stated they do not apply in cases of kidnapping.

The grandmothers are still hoping those guilty will be tried and sentenced for their crimes.

Carloto’s daughter Laura was kidnapped in 1977. She was one month pregnant at the time, and her mother proved the child was born in the military hospital. Laura died in 1978 after giving birth.

Those responsible for Laura’s abduction and death were officially pardonned in 1990, but Carloto still has hopes of finding her grandchild.

The Grandmothers’ leader will present the Pope with a summary of the group’s work over the last 20 years, and will then travel to Italy to meet with the judge investigating the cases of 600 Italian citizens who disappeared during the dicatatorship.

Meanwhile, the 20th anniversary of the group is being celebrated with a series of events in Buenos Aires, starting Friday and Saturday with rock and traditional music concerts.

Sunday will see the artist’s contribution, and the company of the capital’s National Cervantes Theatre will present their tribute Monday.