Buenos Aires Marks 50 Years Since Coup With Mass Rally
Why this is here: The rally featured a banner eight blocks long, collectively embroidered to symbolize the enduring collective memory of the disappeared.
A large crowd filled Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, commemorating 50 years since the start of the last civic-military dictatorship. Columns of people from across the city converged on the plaza, carrying photos of the disappeared and demanding answers about their fate.
Groups including Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, H.I.J.O.S., and university students participated in the march. Organizers prepared for weeks, including creating an eight-block-long banner with collective embroidery. Speakers addressed the crowd, noting around 300 grandchildren remain missing after being stolen from their families during the dictatorship.
Elia Espen of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo demanded authorities reveal the location of the disappeared. Participants denounced sectors of the economy that allegedly benefited from state terrorism, while Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel criticized the current government’s repressive policies. The rally concluded with a call for unity and remembrance.