24 de Marzo

A memory of my time in Argentina that I want to put into words...

It's the 24th of March, I'm en route to the Plaza de Mayo. The street is full of people en route to the Plaza as well. The energy in the air is palpable. I have chills as we walk by group after group of people united behind particular causes. This I think is the way the Plaza is meant to be seen.

A bit of background...the Casa Rosada is the house of government in Argentina. It was from the balcony of the Casa Rosada where Eva Peron made her speeches. It's the political focal point of Buenos Aires and in general a place of gathering. Argentines come here to protest, celebrate, and in general express their opinions.

The 24th of March has significance because 31 years ago on the 24th of March a military government took power in Argentina. What began was 7 years of uncertainty, insecurity, and terror. During those years it is estimated that 30,000 people were taken from their homes, tortured, and killed. Most of their families have no idea what happened to their loved ones and therefore no closure as well.

Every year there is a march on the Plaza de Mayo on the 24th of March to remember the awful things that happened and to never let them happen again. Last year was the 30th anniversary of the dictadura and from what I heard the march was enormous. This year the march was smaller but still made an impact on me. I won't easily forget seeing people of all ages and walks of life in the streets supporting the causes that were important to them.

For any of you that know the band U2, they wrote a song called ¨Mothers of the Disappeared¨which is about this period in Argentina´s history. It pays tribute to those who disappeared and to ¨The Mothers¨ of some of the disappeared that began to demonstrate in front of the Casa Rosada during this time and for many years after.