Guatemala: A forensic anthropologist who brings closure for the "disappeared"

Thanks to Mike from Central American Politics for drawing my attention to this TED talk by Fredy Peccerelli on his work as a forensic anthropologist in Guatemala, which is so relevant to this blog that I'm reposting it here. I can only echo his admiration for the work of these incredible, dedicated people.

Argentina: Revenge is a dish best served cold

Here's a fantastic radio documentary about Victor Basterra, who worked as a photographer while detained in the ESMA (Spanish only). "Revenge is a dish best served cold", he comments as he explains how he smuggled images of military personnel out of the detention centre, which were later used to convict human rights abusers in court.



El fotógrafo (Radio Ambulante)

Thanks to Steven for drawing my attention to it.

Argentina: RIP Clyde Snow

Forensic anthropologist Clyde Snow died just over a month ago aged 86. Sometimes known as the "Sherlock Holmes of bones", he played a key role in training Argentine forensic anthropologists to identify victims of the country's dictatorship. He also worked with remains in El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Brazil and other countries outside Latin America. One of his major achievements was helping to identify fugitive Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele.

“Witnesses may forget throughout the years, but the dead, those skeletons, they don’t forget,” he told The Times in 2002. “Their testimony is silent, but it is also very eloquent.”

 Argentine human rights defenders expressed their gratitude to Snow.

Chicha Mariani, founder of Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, told the Herald last week how grateful she was to him for his work: “He was such a good man, he dedicated so much of his time to us.”

The Argentine forensic team went on to advise others, including those from Peru, so Snow's pioneering work continues to contribute to clearing up atrocities all around the world.

Clyde Snow, Sleuth Who Read Bones From King Tut’s to Kennedy’s, Dies at 86 (NY Times)
Clyde Snow - obituary (Telegraph)
Stories in bones (The Economist)
Farewell to the Sherlock Holmes of bones (The Buenos Aires Herald)
Un hombre que hizo justicia con la ciencia (Pagina/12)

RIP Gabo

Colombian author Gabriel García Marquez - justifiably regarded as one of the greats of world literature - has died. This is the cover of Argentine paper Clarín the day he won the Nobel prize for literature in 1982.

Argentina: RIP Laura Bonaparte

Laura Bonaparte, a member of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo Línea Fundadora, died on 23 June aged 88.

Here she is with her daughter, one of the people she kept fighting for.

It's impossible to imagine how she felt when not just this daughter, but seven members of her family were disappeared by the military regime (her ex-husband, three children and the partners of all the children). Yet instead of crumbling or giving in to bitterness, she started a neverending battle for justice. I don't think it's going too far to say that the world, never mind just Argentina, owes a lot to people like her.

“She was a brilliant woman, who fought for memory and justice despite suffering so much,” stated Mother of the Plaza de Mayo Founding Line member Taty Almeida.

Icon Mother of Plaza de Mayo dies (Buenos Aires Herald)
DESPIDEN LOS RESTOS DE LAURA BONAPARTE (Terra)
La Madre que seguirá alumbrando (Pagina/12)
 Última entrevista de ABC a Laura Bonaparte (ABC)

Incidentally, Bonaparter's granddaughter is Pagina/12 journalist Victoria Ginzberg. 

Peru: Other news

The big news in Peru is the possible pardon for Fujimori, but there's been related news stories as well:

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has criticised the ruling by Javiar Villa Stein, in July, reducing the sentences of the Colina group and possibly paving the way for Fujimori's early release (kind of academic if he's going to be let out anyway, but still, he's not the only human rights abuser in jail).
Americas court tells Peru to scrap rule that could help Fujimori (Reuters)
Inter-American Court Calls on Peru To Annul Grupo Colina Ruling (Peruvian Times)

Also, Fujimori could have his paintings sold off to pay reparations he owes to the Peruvian State:
Alberto Fujimori Paintings To Be Confiscated To Pay Debt To Peru (Latin American News Dispatch)

Finally, tributes have been paid to Spanish-born human rights activist Pilar Coll, who died a few weeks ago aged 83. I'm ashamed to say I had not heard of her before her passing, and there's not too much about her in English, but she seems to have been an absolutely sincere and dedicated person.
Falleció Pilar Coll a los 83 años (La Republica)
Remembering Pilar Coll (WOLA)

Peru: RIP Carlos Ivan Degregori

I'm saddened to hear of the death of Carlos Ivan Degregori, one of the most important writers on the Peruvian conflict and one of the members of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. This is a great loss to Peruvian academia and human rights - as well, of course, to his family and friends. I had the honour of meeting him at a conference in Newcastle several years ago and was impressed both by his presentation and his friendly manner.

Leading anthropologist Carlos Ivan Degregori dies after long illness (Peruvian Times)
Falleció Carlos Iván Degregori, uno de los artífices del informe de la CVR (El Comercio)
Falleció Carlos Iván Degregori (La Republica)

Argentina: Congratulations to the Grandmothers

Congratulations to the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, who have been awarded the 2010 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize from UNESCO for their “tireless battle for human rights and peace by standing up to oppression, injustice and impunity.”

“With all my heart I congratulate the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and their president Estela Carlotto,” said the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova. “Their ceaseless effort has made it possible for a hundred young people to rediscover their true identities, thereby setting right a flagrant injustice. This is an inspiring example of the defense of human rights.”

Hear, hear. I'm sure the US$150,000 prize money will be put to very good use and will hopefully enable a few more grandchildren to be found.

Argentina's Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo awarded UNESCO peace prize (UN News Centre)
Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo receive Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize (UNESCO)

Argentina: RIP Matilde Mellibovsky

I learned from the website of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo that Matilde Mellibovsky has died. Mellibovsky was the mother of Graciela Mellibovsky, disappeared in 1976, and the author of a book about the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Circle of Love over Death.

Peru: Chungui

I've written about Edilberto Jimenez before, so I wasn't going to devote an entire post to him again, but perhaps just a tweet. But seriously, people, you need to watch this video (which I found via Memoriando). It's in Spanish - and Quechua with Spanish subtitles - but even if you don't speak Spanish, please watch it, you will see enough.

[Edited to add: I don't know how Youtube chooses a particular still for the video, this one seems rather unfortunate but I don't know if there is any way to change it. Still, at least it warns of strong content pretty much in itself]

Argentina: Honour for Journalist Robert Cox

British journalist Robert Cox, who worked for the Buenos Aires Herald, has - somewhat belatedly - received honorary citizenship of the Argentine capital in recognition of his brave work during the dictatorship.

Under military rule, the Buenos Aires Herald was one of the very few examples of independent journalism which reported the truth about the abductions, disappearances and extrajudicial executions which became features of everyday life. Media boss Jorge Fontevecchia, for one, credits Cox's reporting with saving his life after he was abducted and taken to El Olimpo. The writers of the English-language daily faced threats and Cox, fearing for the safety of his children, was eventually driven into exile.

Modestly, he claims that he was "just doing his job", but publishing lists of the dead in the early months of the dictatorship really was a bit more than that and he deserves this public acknowledgement.

Heroic British journalist Robert Cox honoured in Argentina (Guardian)

(For more, see this book by Robert Cox's son David, and this one by fellow Buenos Aires Herald journalist, Andrew Graham-Yooll)

El Salvador: Oscar Romero Round-Up

It's a crucial memory day at both ends of Latin America today.

Funes asks forgiveness for Romero assassination (Tim's El Salvador Blog)
Oscar Romero: Thirty Years Later (The Latin Americanist)
Digital newspaper's exclusive reveals details of killing of Archbishop Oscar Romero (Journalism in the Americas)
Remembering Oscar Romero (LA Times)
El Salvador marks Archbishop Oscar Romero's Murder (BBC News)
Oscar Romero (Central American Politics)
24 de Marzo de 1980 (The Mex Files)
Alvaro Savaria speaks out about how he and his accomplices assassinated Romero (Central American Politics)

News/Blogging Round-Up

Bolivia

"Inspectors discovered that former Gen. Luis Garcia Meza had installed a sauna, gymnasium, ping pong table, dining room and even a barbecue grill in his quarters at the Chonchocoro prison."
Bolivia Jailer Ousted over Favors for Ex-dictator (NY Times)

According to someone who REALLY knows, this is why Evo Morales should win the Nobel Peace Prize (IKN)

Brazil

Brazilian former political prisoners call for creation of Truth Commission (Mercopress)

Uruguay

Here's an update to my post on the Graf Spee which has got quite a lot of hits recently. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has been expressing the opinion of his nation about the appropriate use of the wreckage:
Germany wants "Graf Spee" Nazi eagle displayed in a museum (Mercopress)

Argentina: RIP Tomas Eloy Martinez

The fine Argentine author Tomas Eloy Martinez has died aged 75. Martinez's works are highly relevant for the themes of this blog and he was himself forced into exile during the Presidency of Isabel Peron in 1975. I read Santa Evita just before I started my Master's on Argentina and it impressed me deeply - I may need to dig it out again in his memory.

Argentine author Martinez dies at age 75 (AP)

Argentina: New Info on Timerman Case

For the second time in as many days I post on information provided by the excellent National Security Archive.

This time, it's focusing on Argentina, where documents show that the abduction of newspaper editor Jacobo Timerman led to severe conflict within the military junta itself.

The Timerman case is an emblematic one of the 'dirty war'. He was editor of La Opinion, one of the very few publications to be openly opposed to the dictatorship. This, naturally, made him a powerful enemy of the military and in 1977 he was detained and tortured. He was well-connected, and international condemnation of his treatment eventually pressured the military regime enough to secure his release, when he went into exile for the rest of the dictatorship.

Timerman's side of the story in detailed in his book Prisoner without a name, cell without a number, which is still in print. Now the other side can be revealed as well.

One September 1979 document states, "President Videla, the civilian Minister of Justice, and the entire Supreme Court threatened to resign" if the military high command refused to release Jacobo Timerman.

As before, the documents are available for download from the National Security Archive website.

Timerman Case Threatened Argentine Military Regime (National Security Archive)
Journalist's 1977 arrest threatened Argentine dictatorship, documents show (Journalism in the Americas)
Caso Timerman: el dia en que Videla amago con renunciar (Clarin)

Argentina: Media Round-Up on Alfonsin

International press:

Argentines mourn President Alfonsin, dead at 82 (AP)

Argentina's post-dictatorship leader Alfonsin dies (AFP)

Post-junta Argentine leader dies (BBC)

Obituary: Raul Alfonsin (BBC)

Raul Alfonsin, 82, Former Argentine Leader, Dies (NY Times)

Argentina's Former President, Raul Alfonsin, Dies (Guardian)

Naturally, it's the top story in the Argentine media and they are covering it from all sorts of angles.

Critica also has a variety of photographic galleries on the topic, and according to a piece I've just read in Clarin, the queue to see the ex President lying in state in Congress is now over 20 blocks long.

Argentina: Raul Alfonsin Dies

This is not breaking news anymore; Otto, Boz, Mr. Trend, and Richard got there before me. Nevertheless, the death of former Argentine President Raul Alfonsin can hardly pass unnoticed on this blog.

Surely you either have to be quite mad or very brave to take on the leadership of a South American country with 6 military coups in a century behind it, a restive military who have just lost a war and are reluctant to lose power, an economy in tatters and the awful question of the fate of perhaps 30,000 desaparecidos hanging over it. Alfonsin belonged in the latter category, and the hopes of Argentine supporters of democracy rested on his shoulders.

The CONADEP investigation and the trial of the junta were the high points of his presidency. CONADEP - the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons - disappointed some in Argentina with lack of legal clout to compel the military to testify and its failure to produce a list of perpetrators' names. Nevertheless, it was exemplary in the region and remains a crucial tool to understand the events of the dictatorship. The importance of the trial of the junta leaders can hardly be overstated: to bring before the courts the all-powerful generals who had initiated a reign of terror in Argentina was to send a very powerful signal indeed. The fact that the sentences were later annulled is part of the later downturn that Argentina's democratisation process took.

Alfonsin did not manage to satisfy all those who were initially rooting for him, as is hardly possible when the demands were so great. Some of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo regard him as a traitor. I see him, rather, as a tightrope walker. He knew that Argentina was a wounded nation, crying out for truth and justice. The families of the disappeared were extremely vocal in their calling for change. But on the other side, he had the volatile armed forces threatening another uprising at any time. It was hardly an idle threat; the army had seized power enough times before. Given the circumstances, surely he can rest peacefully knowing he did his best.

Peru: Remembering Maria Elena Moyano

On International Women's Day, it seems appropriate to remember a true Peruvian heroine, Maria Elena Moyano.*



This video (in Spanish) makes the point that some young people have never heard of Maria Elena Moyano, even in Villa El Salvador itself. I think her life is worth commemorating.

Moyano was an Afro-Peruvian grassroots leader in Villa El Salvador, one of Lima's largest shanty towns. She worked in community kitchens, 'glass of milk' schemes, and education committees. She became vice-mayor and spoke out bravely against the attacks of the Shining Path. The Shining Path was opposed to all forms of leftist and social organisation that were not Shining Path organised, because they believed that the moderate left bolstered the status quo and hindered the revolution. Therefore, all leftist, trade union, and community organisers were fair game for Sendero.

In 1991, Moyano said in an interview,

I believe that we women have a lot of strength. If we believe in what we are building, there's no reason to be afraid. We are working for the well-being of our people, solidarity, justice. I believe it's necessary for us to debate Shining Path members. I have done it. I say to them, "If you are ready to give up your lives, many other people also are and in this way fight for development and justice, but without terror and murder."
[Trans from The Peru Reader, ed. by Orin Starn, Carlos Ivan Degregori & Robin Kirk, p374]

Five months later, she was gunned down by the Shining Path in front of her children. Yet, as La Republica reported at the time, her struggle lived on.



* Hat tip to Daniel Salas at Gran Combo Club, whose post alerted me to the video of MEM.
** I somehow closed a tab too many and can no longer find the source for the last image in this post; apologies. I'm happy to add a credit if desired.

Brazil: Legacy of Chico Mendes

On the twentieth anniversary of the death of Brazilian environmentalist Chico Mendes, the Guardian offers a timely reminder that progress for activists in Brazil has been mixed. In spite of the relative safety of some of the Amazon reserves, sticking up for the forest and its traditional people is still a dangerous business:

...at least 260 people, among them a Catholic bishop, live under the threat of murder because of their fight against a coalition of loggers, farmers and cattle ranchers.

The list names Frei Henri des Rosiers, a French priest based in the Amazon town of Xinguara, as a particular target. Police are investigating claims he has a £14,000 price on his head because of his fight against slave labour. Also named are Maria José Dias da Costa, a union leader in the remote town of Rondon do Pará, and an Austrian bishop, Dom Erwin Krautler, who has been under 24-hour police guard for two years because of his battle against developers and child prostitution in his Amazonian diocese.

In February this year, Francisco da Silva, a 51-year-old leader of the landless movement in the Amazon, was killed with a single shot to the head. He had been named in a previous CPT report about rural leaders receiving death threats.

Hundreds of Brazil's eco-warriors at risk of assassination, according to new report (Guardian)

More on Mendes:

Brazil remembers slain activist (BBC)

The life and legacy of Chico Mendes (BBC)

Blog and News Round-up

Another human rights organisation has become the target of official suspicion in Colombia, apparently after criticising the regime:

More slime thrown at human rights NGOs (Plan Colombia and Beyond)

Also:

Paramilitaries, Human Rights, and the Trade Agreement: Questions for Colombia's President Uribe (WOLA)

A point which should be obvious but which, in Latin America, needs making again and again: the armed forces should stay out of politics:

The Salvadoran Armed Forces and the elections (Tim's El Salvador Blog)

Salvador Allende has been voted the greatest Chilean of all time in a popular television programme:

Salvador Allende - Greatest Chilean, by Popular Acclaim (IPS)

And finally, The Mex Files recalls the earthquake of September 19, 1985:

Shaken... and stirred: 19 September 1985