Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo

Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo
Archivo Hasenberg-Quaretti · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo
Formation	30 April 1977
Founders	Azucena Villaflor, Esther Ballestrino, María Ponce
Location	Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Focus	Human rights, locating the disappeared

Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo are a prominent human rights organization formed in response to the Dirty War in Argentina. Initially a group of mothers searching for their disappeared children, they became a global symbol of peaceful resistance against state terrorism. Their iconic weekly marches in Buenos Aires challenged the military junta and brought international attention to the crimes of the Argentine dictatorship.

Origins and formation

The group emerged in 1977 during the height of the Dirty War, a period of state terrorism under the military dictatorship led by Jorge Rafael Videla. Distraught mothers, unable to get information from authorities like the Argentine Federal Police, began gathering at the Plaza de Mayo facing the Casa Rosada. Founders included Azucena Villaflor, Esther Ballestrino, and María Ponce, who first met while petitioning government offices and the Supreme Court of Argentina. The Catholic Church in Argentina, particularly the Vicariate of Solidarity, provided early, cautious support. The mothers' simple demand for "Aparición con vida" (Appearance Alive) directly confronted the junta's policy of forced disappearances conducted by entities like the Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada.

The weekly marches and symbolism

Every Thursday, the mothers conducted silent marches around the Pirámide de Mayo in the Plaza de Mayo, a potent act of defiance in the heart of Buenos Aires. Their primary symbol became the white headscarf, often embroidered with the names of their disappeared children, inspired by nappies. This imagery was powerfully displayed during events like the 1978 FIFA World Cup, drawing global media attention. The marches persisted through the Falklands War and the subsequent transition to democracy, becoming a permanent fixture of Argentine political life. Their presence was a constant reminder to figures like Leopoldo Galtieri and Raúl Alfonsín of the unresolved crimes of the past.

Internal divisions and factions

Following the return to democracy in 1983, strategic differences led to a formal split in 1986. The majority group, led by Hebe de Bonafini, became known as the Association of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, adopting a more radical, revolutionary stance aligned with Peronism and rejecting government reparations. The smaller faction, led by Renée Epelbaum, formed the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo – Founding Line, which focused on legal avenues, exhumations, and identifying remains through the work of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team. This division reflected broader debates within Argentine society about memory, justice, and reconciliation during the presidencies of Raúl Alfonsín and Carlos Menem.

Impact and legacy

The organization fundamentally shaped human rights discourse in Latin America, inspiring similar groups like the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and movements in Chile under Augusto Pinochet. Their methodology of peaceful, persistent protest became a model for global activism. They influenced the development of transitional justice mechanisms and the concept of the "right to truth" in international law. Their struggle is commemorated in artworks, literature, and landmarks, including the Parque de la Memoria in Buenos Aires. The mothers transformed from victims into key political actors, challenging successive governments and ensuring the Dirty War remained central to national identity.

Legal actions and human rights trials

The mothers were instrumental in pushing for the landmark Trial of the Juntas in 1985, which prosecuted leaders including Jorge Rafael Videla and Emilio Massera. They campaigned against the Full Stop Law and the Law of Due Obedience passed under Raúl Alfonsín, and later against the pardons issued by Carlos Menem. Their relentless advocacy contributed to the repeal of these amnesty laws by the Congress of Argentina and the Supreme Court of Argentina in the early 2000s. This paved the way for renewed trials under presidents Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, leading to hundreds of convictions of former military and police officials for crimes against humanity.

Category:Human rights organizations Category:Argentine history