On Sunday, November 17, the church of Santa Cruz in Buenos Aires resonated with “present!” » (” here ! “) collective, the war cry of the relatives of the victims of the Argentine dictatorship (1976-1983) and of human rights organizations, so that the memory of their loved one remains alive. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, on a state visit to Buenos Aires, paid tribute to the victims of the junta – 30,000 dead or missing according to their relatives’ organizations – and in particular to the French victims – around twenty – also in this place. of the memory of the church. A strong symbol, since the ultraliberal government of Javier Milei, which came to power in December 2023, is the dismantling of the policies of memory, truth and justice.
“We will not forget you”the French president assured the families of the victims. Emmanuel Macron traveled to Buenos Aires on Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17, where he met twice with his counterpart Javier Milei. This was the first stop on his South American tour ahead of the Nov. 18-19 G20 summit in Rio, Brazil, which will be followed by a trip to Chile.
Accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron, he spoke for more than half an hour with relatives of victims in this place of worship where relatives of those disappeared during the dictatorship gathered. Hidden, they tried to organize their investigation, particularly around the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
“The solidarity of the French people”
Between December 8 and 10, 1977, the “Santa Cruz group” was, in turn, kidnapped by the armed forces. Twelve people in total, who were later imprisoned, tortured and thrown alive into the waters bordering Buenos Aires and its region. Among them, two French nuns, Alice Domon and Léonie Duquet, but also the founder of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, Azucena Villaflor. Some bodies were identified in 2005, including that of Léonie Duquet, buried in the church of Santa Croce.
“We thanked Emmanuel Macron for his gesture. With the current policies of attack on memory, it is very important for a head of state to pay tribute to the victims; All actions in defense of human rights are important”estimated Ana María Careaga, herself kidnapped and detained during the dictatorship. His mother, Esther Ballestrino, was one of the victims of the “Santa Cruz group.” Visibly moved, Florencia Battiti, director of the Buenos Aires Memory Park, also welcomed the gesture. “very important” by Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing the extent to which the support of the international community is expected in Argentina. “Here, in our struggles, we have received a lot of solidarity from the French people”tracked down Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize winner (1980), who was also detained and tortured. France received thousands of Argentine and South American exiles during the military dictatorships of the 1970s to 1990s.
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