Mayo Square Mothers Celebrate 46 Years of Fighting for Justice

On Sunday, the "Mothers of Plaza de Mayo" celebrated the 46th anniversary of their first demonstration in front of the Argentine government headquarters during the military dictatorship (1976-1983).

On April 30, 1977, fourteen women took over Mayo Square to demand the appearance alive of their children who had been kidnapped, detained, tortured and murdered by the dictatorship headed by General Jorge Rafael Videla.

After that first public event, social support for the relatives of political prisoners gradually increased and managed to gather 2,000 women who marched regularly in Mayo Square, which became a symbol of human rights throughout the world.

"It is 46 years of bravery, resistance, and courage. Forty-six years teaching an entire country to walk. They turned pain into love. Dear grandmothers, your handkerchief is our flag held high!" said Maria Gomez, a young student.

"In our time, voices against democracy are still gaining strength. Nevertheless, the Mayo Square Mothers' legacy remains intact: to persist and not be silent," President Alberto Fernandez said, emphasizing that these women began a fight "raising their voices" against State terrorism.

"Their struggle lives forever in our people. Their slogans 'Never Again' and 'Memory, Truth and Justice' became Argentine democracy's present and future."

"Always with fear but with strength and putting the body. That's how we filled the square," Nora Cortiñas, co-founder of the Mayo Square Mothers, said in a video released by the Argentine Human Rights Secretariat.