ARGENTINA: Mothers of Plaza de Mayo attacked

July 19, 2000
Issue 

ARGENTINA: Mothers of Plaza de Mayo attacked

The following statement was issued by Argentina's Mothers of Plaza de Mayo on July 3 to support groups around the world. The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo campaigns for the disappeared.

In the early hours of Saturday, July 1, the intelligence services once again invaded and sacked the Mothers' Bookshop. Over the past five years, the Mothers' House (Mothers of Plaza de Mayo's headquarters) has been burgled and attacked six times and our president's home three times. The bookshop, three months after it opened, had the words "Long live Massera" and "Old whores" painted on its walls and was burgled a few days later.

Admiral Emilio Eduardo Massera was navy commander in chief at the time of the March 24, 1976, military coup and a member of the military junta that took power. The junta disappeared, executed and jailed tens of thousands of Argentinian political activists and drove millions into exile. After being jailed for some of the crimes he committed during this time, he was pardoned in 1990 by President Carlos Menem.

The intelligence services cannot deal with the fact that the Mothers have the solidarity of our people, who are the ones who make possible the (Mother's) newspaper, bookshop and university.

The Mother's Bookshop is situated opposite the offices of the National Social Security Administration, which is guarded 24 hours a day by two police officers. The Police Department headquarters is around the corner, and two blocks away is the National Congress building.

We have no doubt as to who is attempting to subject us to fear. The Mothers are convinced that the struggle against the enemy is not over, even more so with the [present Argentinian] government, that is a servant of the United States.

We request that protest email or faxes be sent to the Argentinian government: Sr Presidente de la Nacion, Dr Fernando de la Rua, fax +0054 11 4344 3789, email <spyd@presidencia.gov.ar>. Where possible, please send copies to the minister of the interior at <interior@presidencia.gov.ar>.

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