Hebe de Bonafini, was 93 years old, was the mother of two of those who disappeared during the Argentine dictatorship and founded the association to vindicate what happened during the Jorge Videla dictatorship
The founder of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Hebe de Bonafini, died this Sunday, November 20, at the age of 93, according to Argentine media reports.
Bonafini, mother of two disappeared children, considered a human rights defender and activist, was one of the main faces of the Argentine association known in the world for the search for the children donated to other families during the Argentine dictatorship.
The death was confirmed by his daughter, who thanked the expressions of affection received while she was hospitalized in recent days at the Italian Hospital in the city of the Buenos Aires province of La Plata.
The president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández offered his condolences. “With deep pain and respect to Hebe de Bonafini” through a press release and declared three days of national mourning to pay tribute to her memory.
Fernández stressed that the Argentine government and people recognize Bonafini as an international symbol of the fight for Human Rights, the search for truth and justice for the 30,000 disappeared during the last military dictatorship. She added that, as the founder of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, she shed light in the dark night of the dictatorship and “paved the way for the recovery of democracy forty years ago.”
Bonafini was a well-known Kirchner supporter and a political figure in Argentina, where the government decreed three days of national mourning.
For her part, the Argentine vice president, Cristina Kirchner, published a message on her social networks where she said goodbye to the human rights activist. «Dearest Hebe, Mother of Plaza de Mayo, world symbol of the fight for Human Rights, pride of Argentina. God called you on the day of National Sovereignty… it should not be a coincidence. Simply thank you and see you always ».
Bonafini had been discharged on October 13, after having been hospitalized for three days at the Italian Hospital in the city of La Plata for medical check-ups.
The week prior to that hospitalization, the leader had led the march that she carries out every Thursday, and on that occasion they had invited high school students to present on the school takeovers in the city of Buenos Aires.
Reviewing her biography, Hebe Bonafini said that her parents and grandmother had taught her “the value of work” while her two missing children taught her “what politics is.” Bonafini was born in a working-class neighborhood in the town of Ensenada and would have turned 94 on December 4.
President Nicolás Maduro also wrote on his Twitter account his regret over the death of Bonafini. «The Great Homeland honors a valuable woman, fighter and deeply revolutionary that today, November 20, becomes eternal. Great Hebe de Bonafini! You will be forever in the hearts of the Venezuelan and Latin American people. We will remember you forever!”
La Patria Grande honors a valuable woman, a fighter and deeply revolutionary who today, November 20, becomes eternal. Great Hebe de Bonafini! You will be forever in the hearts of the Venezuelan and Latin American people. We will remember you forever! pic.twitter.com/qhAXMclY8a
— Nicolas Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) November 20, 2022
Received by more than a dozen presidents and recognized throughout the world, the activist became a controversial figure due to her radical stances against the United States, her full adherence to the governments of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández and at the end of his life due to a corruption scandal that involved the social housing construction program of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Foundation.
With information from CNN, abc from Spain and Radio Television Martí
Post Views: 675
