The Disappeared of Argentina

Manuel San Laurent and Marcela Colombini

Learning about history from locals is one of the trademarks of an Overseas Adventure Travel trip. During our time in Buenos Aires, Manuel San Lorent spoke with us about the “disappeared.”  His talk was not from the perspective of a historian, but of a son. When Manuel was just two weeks old, his mother was kidnapped by Jorge Rafael Videla's’s regime, never to be seen again.

Videla’s program of kidnapping people he deemed dangerous due to their political views stands out as a particularly dark period of Argentina’s history. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 people “disappeared" or were murdered during the Dirty War. Many were students, a particularly problematic group because they had been exposed to ideas not in line with those of the regime. But anyone who didn’t fall in line with Videla's politics was at risk. At any moment, a car with no license plate or other form of identification might pull up beside you. A man wearing a mask would then emerge from the vehicle. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

Symbol of the mothers of the disappeared 

Once a person was in the hands of the regime, the authorities would go through their possessions for information about other people who might be opposed to Videla. A calendar notation about meeting someone for lunch or having a haircut scheduled at the local salon could put those people at risk without regard to their politics.

Our guide Marcela shared a heartbreaking story about the last time she saw her best friend. They were approaching one another from opposite directions as they crossed a bridge. Marcela was particularly happy to see her as it had been a couple of weeks since they had gotten together. As they neared one another, her friend discreetly shook her head and passed without acknowledging Marcela. It was the last time they saw each other. Marcela later learned her friend had feared she was being followed and had taken her young child to her grandmother’s just in case. Marcella called her friend's failure to acknowledge her "a silent way of showing her love." 

It was the mothers of young people who had been kidnapped who first drew attention to what was happening. They initially went to the police to report that their children were missing. When no action was taken, they began gathering in what is now known as May Square. These women identified themselves by wearing white scarves on their heads. Even this action carried risk as Videla had imposed a law forbidding more than two people to gather at any time. Today the Square is lined with mosaics of these scarves as a reminder of what transpired.

Over time, information has been developed about what happened to the disappeared. Many of the victims ended up in one of the hundreds of ad hoc concentration camps. Most of the bodies of people who died while there were burned. This action was both pragmatic and cruel as the identities of those people are very difficult to determine. Manuel and his family were among the “lucky” ones. They received a call 34 years after his mother went missing that her remains had been found in a mass grave with 14 other bodies. She had been shot seven times. It was heartbreaking news, of course. But they finally had closure and could give her a proper burial.

"30,000" by Nicolas Guagnini

Occasionally, one of the disappeared would be let go. These releases were not out of sympathy for the captive. Instead, they were a political maneuver. When a friend or family member came back from the dead, he would tell people about the abuse suffered. The details would quickly spread, striking even more fear in the community. The message was loud and clear – if it happened to them, it could happen to you. 

The former prisoner might also relay information about other victims to their loved ones. While in captivity, people would cry out their names and relevant information in the hope that someone who was released would let their families know they were still alive. 

Another way victims were killed was by putting them on a "Flight of Death" in which they would be dropped from a plane.  Sometimes the person was already dead; others had merely been drugged. All had been tortured. On occasion, a body would be swept ashore and identified. While horrifying, at least the family knew their loved one was no longer suffering. When Videla realized this was happening, the pilots were instructed to fly further away from the coast before the drop. (Note: The information about this method of killing people was divulged by two pilots who later suffered from remorse over their involvement.)

Wall with names of the disappeared who have been identified

We met Manuel in Memorial Park - Monument to the Victims of State Terrorism. This site was chosen because it is here that some of the first bodies of the disappeared were found. Today it is a green area populated with sculptures honoring the victims. There is also a wall similar to our Viet Nam Memorial that contains the names of the victims whose remains have been found. Manuel showed us the brick engraved with his mother’s name – Maria Eugenio San Lorent. It was the most memorable moment of the entire trip. 

As of today, the wall honors approximately 10,000 people who died at the hands of Videla’s regime. If a woman was pregnant when she was killed, the inscription includes an asterisk to indicate this status. There is room for thousands more names as additional remains are identified.

More than 1,000 people are in prison for their involvement with Videla and the disappearances. The Vice President of Argentina is part of a group of people calling for their release. She is a “disappeared denier” who was democratically elected. Our world is a frightening place.