Argentina's mothers protest the kidnapping of

their children (1977)Rob Martino

Sean de Herter

Background

• “Dirty War”-Argentine military dictatorship -1976-1983

• Jorge Rafael Videla- Dictator • Dictatorship was put in place to stage a

series of coups de’tats in South America • Estimated 9,000-30,000 kidnappings,

tortures and murders

Argentinean Process of National Reorganization: “The Proceso”

• “A terrorist isn’t just someone with a gun or a bomb” a subversive was “ anyone who opposes the Argentine way of life.” “First we will kill all subversives, then we will kill their collaborators; then…their sympathizers, then…those who remain indifferent; and finally we will kill the timid” - Jorge Rafael Videla

IDEA: State Sponsored Terror would return order to Argentina

•Anyone who opposed the Dictatorship was kidnapped or murdered •Thousands of children were taken •A group of mothers decided to protest against the government

The Mothers of The Plaza de Mayo

• Human Rights Activist Group • Goal of Group is to reunite mothers

with their children lost through the Dirty War

• The group was primarily made up of mothers who were searching for answers

• The group wore white head scarves to signify dippers and embroidered their children's names on them –Easy to spot

Form of Protest• The mothers used non-

violent protest to try to get their point across

• First mothers would gather in Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, prohibited from gathering

• The mothers started to march around the plaza

• Used churches as meeting placed

• Religion played a role in protest- prayer for loved ones was incorporated in the weekly marches

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Response to Protest • Government sponsored undercover

operation- led to inside info of the Mothers organization

• Leading members of the protest group were abducted and later found to have been killed

• 834 mothers signed a petition published in the daily news paper asking political officials for help-Bold Act

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BBC Special • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdjTsnLhGM

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• Are the goals and values of nonviolent conflict and civil disobedience a viable option for changing a perceived unjust society into a just one?

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Shift In Government • 1983 Civilian Government came into

power -Raul Alfonsin elected as president

• Mothers focus shifted to recovering truths and seeking justice, while trying to find those who were not murdered

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Government Support

• Through support of the new government-The mothers were able to find truths

• Found missing children (adopted) • Found and Identified human remains • Started trials for Ex-government

officials connected to crimes

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Continuation of Protests • “many mothers maintain that they will not recognize the

deaths until the government admits its fault and its connection to the Dirty War and its systematically forced disappearances.”

• The mothers continued to protest every thursday until January 26, 2006 - still continue but not for missing

• The trials of the ex-government officials are being hurried, so that the aging mothers may have a chance to witness justice

• “Argentina is considered today as the 3rd most democratic country in Latin America” despite the poor economic situation

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Impact of Protest

• Got recognition around the world • Helped make a large impact on social

injustice issues and public awareness

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Viable Option

• In the case of the mothers of Argentina, non-violent protest was a viable option in order to try to find their missing children

• Use of innocence and desire for justice

• Raised awareness and had a good plan

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Success?

• The idea was that peaceful protest would be safe and lead to answers

• Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, the government killed leaders of the mothers organization

• Protests gained no major ground in getting justice or answers until after the shift in government (1983)

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Key to “Resolution”

• The shift in government was the real answer for turning an perceived unjust society into a just one

• The new government was very helpful and did everything possible to help the Mothers get answers and prosecute the guilty

• Although the Mother’s organization and protests were the foundation for turning Argentina into a just society, the change in government was the major turning point

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Sources • http://www.truth-out.org/argentinas-mothers-plaza-de-mayo-a-living-legacy-hope-and-human-rights64446

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdjTsnLhGM

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raúl_Alfonsín