Yesterday we flew from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. We were fortunate to have had two caring and informative guides during our time in Buenos Aires: Rosana and German. They provided us a local and international perspective on our first Latin American city during this academic trip.
One of our most memorable times with Rosana and German was
the day we visited Monumental Stadium of the River Plate Soccer Club. As we
left the stadium we drove past a former military complex where our guides
shared a personal story from their families at the time of the last military
dictatorship in Argentina. The military coup occurred in 1976 and the regime ended
in 1983 with tens of thousands of people “disappeared”. Internationally known
as the Desaparecidos these systematically abducted citizens included babies and
children taken from their parents and given up for secret adoptions. German and
Rosana poignantly described the climate of profound fear that permitted silence
in the face of tragedy and abuse of governmental power.
German’s story was simple and deeply affecting. As a
schoolboy he would ask his parents why he couldn’t walk to his nearby school or
walk to pick up groceries at a nearby store. He recalls the sense of confusion he
felt. Now, as our guide he tells how he understands his parents were protecting
him from what no one would talk about – the fear of secret abduction. Rosana
shared of her family’s sudden decision to seek sanctuary abroad because her
father, a member of the military, would not support the aberrant behaviors of
the military dictatorship regime. She pointed out that not all the members of
the military supported the military dictatorship’s crimes. Today, these personal
stories can be shared in Argentina, although the healing is ongoing.
On our last day in Buenos Aires, Rosana and German took us
to the famed Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosada (the Pink Palace) which
is the main building for the executive branch of the government. Unlike the
White House, the Casa Rosada is not a residence for the Argentine President.
The color pink came from the preservative ingredients of fat and blood of animals
that was mixed with the paint at the time of the Casa Rosada’s construction in
the late 1800’s! The National Cathedral is also facing the Plaza de Mayo and is
the church where Pope Francis celebrated mass when he was the Cardinal of
Buenos Aires.
In 1977 in the Plaza de Mayo the military dictatorship government
found themselves facing mothers and grandmothers of the Desaparecidos. This
group of mothers in this place became a potent symbol of truth speaking to
power. Internationally this group became “Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo” (The
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo) and their symbol was the simple scarf covering
their head and tied under their chin. These scarf-clad women faced the government
with the steadfast question “where are
our children?” The symbol of a mother’s scarf faced all the military
dictatorship in the Casa Rosada and the terrifying silence was broken. Over
time the mothers were supported by many others internationally -particularly
with the soccer World Cup held in Buenos Aires in 1978 which led to greater
awareness globally.
Today our academic adventure continues in Santiago, Chile
where our guides Catalina and Francisca gave us a snapshot of the dictatorship in
Chile and the transformation to democracy along with the economic miracle of
Chile. In order to learn more and discern the stages of the establishment of
the economic miracle our students will need to identify similarities and
differences in these periods in Argentina and Chile.
Film Suggestions to
Learn More:
In 1986 the Argentine
film “The Official Story” won an
Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It tells the story of two mothers who symbolize
the Argentine nation waking up to the truth of the Desaparecidos to begin
reconciling with the period of the dictatorship.
In 2012 the Chilean
film “No!” was nominated for an Oscar
for Best Foreign Film. It tells the story of the 1988 marketing campaign of the
vote for the “No” side of the referendum to preserve or not to preserve the
military dictatorship in Chile.
Casa Rosada, view from Plaza de Mayo
Plaques of the National Bank of Argentina in Honor of their Desaparecido Employees
Argentina's National Cathedral, view from the Plaza de Mayo
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