La Guerra Sucia

On March 24, 1976, after years of turbulence, a bloodless military coup took control of the Argentine state apparatus, attracting the most international attention to Argentina in its history for the worst reasons.

This according to our Bible - Lonely Planet.

The general in charge, Jorge Rafael Videla, swore that he would crush guerilla movements (including several inspired by Ernesto Guevara) by any means necessary. The press and the public gave their support and the Process of National Reorganisation (El Proceso) was the euphemistic handle for the new government's dual policy of authoritarian rule and an economic agenda designed to encourage foreign investment. Sure, they had a little success with all that, but after a while the minor detail of state terrorism kinda eclipsed what success they had.

They used CIA intelligence and 'interrogation' techniques (why does the CIA always seem to be linked to these horrible things) and security forces, working undercover, went about arresting, torturing, raping, and killing anyone on their hit list of suspected leftists. Liberals, intellectuals, journalists and trade union leaders were obvious targets, some armed revolutionaries were locked up. Mass murder, torture by electrocution, death flights over the ocean, imprisonment in dungeons throughout the country (including pregnant women and disabled people). The details are documented in Nunca Mas (Never More), a report from 1983 by a committee chaired by Ernesto Sabato, a brilliant contemporary Argentine writer (On Heroes and Tombs). By 1978 ordinary civilians had been drawn in to the conflict.

1978 was also the year of the World Cup - here's where journalism begins to shine. International journalists flown in to cover the event weren't taken in by Videla's propaganda stunts and word got out of what was going on. The Falklands War (we have to call it the Malvinas War here) put an end to military rule and the period eventually became known as La Guerra Sucia, the Dirty War.

It all ended 22 years ago but yesterday in the Plaza de Mayo we watched the Mothers and the Grandmothers of the desaparecidos - the dissappeared - marching. From 1976 to 1983 it's estimated that some 30,000 people were "disappeared". The Mothers and Grandmothers keep up their protest, campaigning for justice and information about their lost children. Post-1983 governments didn't cover the crime of military officers kidnapping children for adoption. The Abuelas and HIJOS (sons and daughters) organisations are committed to naming all these illegally adopted children, now in their twenties - my age.

They march every Thursday in the Plaza in front of Casa Rosada, the presidential palace, where Evita makes her famous speech. They're old but young people march with them, and they greet them with open arms, hugging and kissing. Every Thursday for 22 years they've done this. They get no answer. Most of the people who know the answers are either living in relative anonymity under house arrest, or are already dead. They don't care, they just keep marching.

Now THAT'S something worth fighting for.

And, see, Mom? Extremely different from jerky Arnaldo stopping us on the street for taking a picture!