- Title: Argentina's 'mothers' organise annual resistance march
- Date: 8th December 2016
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (DECEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE MOTHERS OF PLAZA DE MAYO, FOUNDERS LINE, ALONGSIDE SOCIAL GROUPS ON THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL RESISTANCE MARCH IN PLAZA DE MAYO, HOLDING PHOTOS OF DISAPPEARED PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF THE MOTHERS OF PLAZA DE MAYO, HEBE DE BONAFINI, LEADING MARCH VARIOUS MORE OF MARCH, AS ACCOMPANIED BY SUPPORTERS OF FORMER CENTRE-LEFT ARGENTINE PRESIDENT, CRISTINA FERNANDEZ CLOSE OF MYRTA RIVADENEYRA, MOTHER OF RICARDO MONTEIRO, WHO WAS DISAPPEARED ON OCTOBER DECEMBER 10, 1976 MORE OF CROWDS PHOTO OF MONTEIRO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MYRTA RIVADENEYRA, MEMBER OF MOTHERS OF PLAZA DE MAYO, FOUNDERS' LINE, SAYING: "The feelings are pretty hard for me, because on December 10, it will be 40 years since they took my son away. My husband was killed, and son was disappeared." VARIOUS MORE OF MARCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MYRTA RIVADENEYRA, MEMBER OF MOTHERS OF PLAZA DE MAYO, FOUNDERS' LINE, SAYING: "Now there are a lot of journalists here. But back then there were weapons and people insulting us, and for me this is incredible, but thanks to god, we can speak out and we can never forget." VARIOUS MORE OF MARCH IN FRONT OF CASA ROSADA PINK HOUSE, ARGENTINA'S GOVERNMENT HOUSE
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2016 20:56
- Keywords: dictatorship Plaza de Mayo
- Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
- City: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
- Country: Argentina
- Reuters ID: LVA0015C109C3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Argentine human rights group Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, founders line, is embarking Thursday (December 9) for the 36th time on its annual resistance march to demand justice for the victims of Argentina's last military dictatorship.
Mothers of the detained and disappeared have been rallying in Plaza de Mayo outside Casa Rosada government house since the country's brutal military dictatorship of 1976-83. When told to split up and move on by authorities, they began marching around in a circle in pairs - a tradition they have kept up ever since, while wearing iconic white headscarves.
An estimated 30,000 Argentines disappeared during a military junta that said it was seeking to root out a leftist "subversive" insurgency.
"The feelings are pretty hard for me, because on December 10, it will be 40 years since they took my son away. My husband was killed, and son was disappeared," said Myrta Rivadeneyra, a mother taking part in the march.
The first formal "resistance" march took place on December 9, 1981, when 70 mothers marched alongside some 700 soldiers.
"Now there are a lot of journalists here. But back then there were weapons and people insulting us, and for me this is incredible, but thanks to god, we can speak out and we can never forget," Rivadeneyra told Reuters.
Since the return of democracy in 1983 in Argentina, the mothers have seen their groups splinter. The founders' line of the mothers, led by the controversial Hebe de Bonafini, halted their resistance marches during the leadership of the Kirchners, the centre-left couple that governed Argentina from 2003-2015. Prior Argentine presidents had pardoned the leaders, along with rebel leaders involved with the Cold War violence that roiled the South American country in the 1970's. The Kirchners pursued trials against the dictatorship leaders.
But the rise of centre-right Mauricio Macri to the presidency has resulted in an uptick in suspicion over his commitment to the human rights agenda. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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