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Desaparecidos.

Jérôme E. Conquy

During the last Military Dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983), close to FIVE HUNDRED babies were stolen from their parents. The latter were kidnapped, tortured and executed in cold blood by the Argentinean authorities. The majority of these children live today under new identities. Thanks to the endless work of “LAS ABUELAS DE LA PLAZA DE MAYO ASSOCIATION” (a Human Rights Organization, composed of mothers who have lost their children), EIGHTY of these children got their identity back. 270 cases have been identified but there is still no information concerning the other TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY children. At the time of the kidnapping, these children were just babies; now they are adults (around THIRTY years of age). The last Decree of the Supreme Court of Argentina declared that the prevailing Laws on Amnesty, concerning one thousand military men guilty of Human Rights abuse, were UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Now the possibility is open for taking legal action against these torturous individuals! The children born in “captivity”- their parents being still at large - were the only legal recourse they had against a terrorist state. Indeed, they are the living proof that stealing the babies were organized crimes, as well as the theft of the personal goods of the 30,000 MISSING PEOPLE. The following story tells of FIVE of these youngsters who survived this dark page in the history of Argentina. Behind the looks of Horacio Pietragalla Corti, Claudio Goncalvez, Paula Logares, Maria de Las Victoria Ruiz and Emiliano Hueravilo hide terrifying stories. Their stories all point toward these clandestine centres of detention, such as ESMA (ESCUELA de MECANICA de la ARMADA), which was the largest Centre of Torture in the entire history of South America. This latter is to be converted into a Museum to ensure that these horrors will not be forgotten...this political decision has been made by the present President of Argentina, Senor Nestor Kirchner. On march the 24th 2006, Argentina will celebrate the 30th anniversary of this dark period of history. Text by mariano Blejman; Translated from spanish by Jérôme Eagland-Conquy



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