The reference of Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line Nora Cortiñas affirmed this Friday that “every day must be of struggle”, upon receiving a distinction as an honorary professor from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHyCS) of the National University of Jujuy (AJu).
“Every day they have to be of struggle, without giving up because it is essential that we get our country out of this pit into which we are falling. The disappeared, those who were imprisoned, those who had to go into exile, were popular fighters who wanted an Argentina where everyone ate together around a table and not in dining rooms like now,” Cortiñas stressed during the act that took place at the headquarters of the house of higher studies.
During the meeting, the member of the human rights movement that denounced the crimes of State terrorism during the last civic-military dictatorship shared reflections on the memory that are embodied in the book “Norita, mother of all battles”, a biographical review of her fighting career.
The member of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo was visibly moved by the declaration of honorary professor of the FHyCS, a distinction that in November 2020 was awarded to the former president of Bolivia Evo Morales.
“Thank you for inviting me to this beautiful and special space to grow and develop democracy,” Cortiñas said at the beginning of his speech and then indicated that the book that was presented is a legacy that “tells the truth of part of history that we all live”.
The 92-year-old activist recalled sections captured in the work written by Gerardo Szalkowicz, in relation to the search for his son Carlos Gustavo Cortiñas, who was arrested in April 1977 at the Castelar train station, Buenos Aires province, and is still missing.
Later, he assessed that the bibliographical production is framed in “a historical context”, which “serves for youth to wonder what happened in Argentina”, and affirmed that although it tells his story “it could have the name of another mother and It would always be real,” he said.
The initiative was organized by the Association of University Professionals in Public Administration (Apuap) of Jujuy, within the framework of the actions for memory promoted by the union space throughout the year.
Cortiñas also alluded to the situation in Jujuy, stating that in the province that Gerardo Morales governs “human rights are not respected”, and considered that the president behaves like “a kapanga”.
“It is similar to Qatar because of the lack of freedom, respect for human rights and especially for women. In the 21st century, instead of advancing towards social justice, it goes backwards,” he observed about the reality of the province.
Before receiving the award, Cortiñas marched in Jujuy for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women along with hundreds of people, and denounced that “there are women unjustly detained and mistreated for defending their children from abuse.”
In turn, the head of Apuap, Nicolás Fernández, said that the recognition activity is carried out at “very complex moments for the people of Jujuy”, because “we are experiencing an adjustment policy initiated by the Macrista scam, continued by the Morales government ”.
“We received Nora Cortiñas in our house of studies because we are convinced that memory must be kept active with events day by day. We do not doubt that she had to be our honorary professor because she is an example of struggle, commitment and militancy” , affirmed the dean of the FHyCS, Cesar Arrueta.
