By Press Area | Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo
Abuelas of Plaza de Mayo continue working day after day to find our grandchildren, raise awareness of the importance of the right to identity, and combat denialism.
Reaching younger generations—including those who may be our great-grandchildren—is one of the major challenges we face. With this in mind, during the winter school holidays we held the tenth edition of the “Risas y Abrazos” (“Laughter and Hugs”) festival, dedicated to children. Musicians Mariana Baggio and Teresa Usandivaras, as well as “Upa” and “Nilocos”, performed at the festival. We also offered embroidery and circus workshops and a chess tournament, all free of charge, at Casa por la Identidad (House of Identity), located at the former ESMA clandestine detention center.
There, we also continued offering guided tours for schools and educational institutions at all levels. In addition, we held a monthly film-and-discussion series and a series of book presentations. Among the films screened were “El agente secreto” and “Nuestra tierra”, followed by a conversation with director Lucrecia Martel. As for the books, among other works, we discussed “Página/12: 50 años del golpe” and “76”, by Felipe Pigna, in a discussion with the author moderated by two young journalists from the streaming media world.
As part of our work to pass on memory from one generation to the next, we have continued offering training courses. In August, we launched the second cohort of the year of “Las Abuelas y el derecho a la identidad”, with around 500 people enrolled.
As part of our outreach efforts, we have also gained two new allies: sisters Majo and Victoria Granatto. Before leaving to compete in the Hockey World Cup, they visited Casa por la Identidad and recorded a short video message for Abuelas. The sisters, now world champions, also left their jerseys, where they will soon become part of the exhibition.
These past few months have also been significant in the fight for justice, with several court rulings. ESMA perpetrator Gonzalo “Chispa” Sánchez was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison for 178 cases, 19 of which are connected to our search.
In another very welcome development, the Court overturned the dismissal of the judges and juvenile advisors who were involved in the appropriation of Manuel Gonçalves Granada. They can now stand trial.
In addition, a former Army captain was convicted in the trial concerning the appropriation of our restored grandson Marcos Eduardo Ramos and his brother Ismael. While the trial was underway, new studies conducted by the Banco Nacional de Datos Genéticos (BNDG) also enabled us to establish the identity of Marcos’s father, something that had previously remained uncertain. Marcos was able to meet his paternal family.
As we approach 49 years of struggle, there is still much work to be done. Nearly 300 grandchildren are still living under false identities, but many more people are affected by the violation of this right because the crime continues into the next generation: their sons and daughters, our great-grandchildren.
We are grateful for your support and solidarity, which enable us to continue this struggle with the hope that, one day, we will find them.
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