Taking Lessons Back to the U.S.

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From Virrey Cevalles earlier today. These people were disappeared from nearby neighborhoods but weren’t taken to this specific site. I found it heartening that these people were honored even in places they didn’t necessarily step into. 

A lot of connections can be made between Argentine and American histories. Though the events themselves weren’t the same, there were repercussions impacting generations of families and the structure of society in general. One difference, though, is the effort going into pursuing justice on a more national level. When Néstor Kirchner was elected in 2003, he made strides to prosecute those responsible for human rights violations during the dictatorship. He annulled legislation that prevented the prosecution of military personnel. That step alone is huge in bringing justice to families of the disappeared and victims who were imprisoned/tortured. The United States never saw trials convicting slave owners of their crimes against humanity – and now it’s too late for that specific issue. But we see similar behavior when it comes to issues like police brutality against black and brown people. It seems much more difficult to convict such a police officer. Another big discussion in the United States is around reparations, which Argentina has been able to provide for children or grandchildren of the disappeared. We know that trauma is generational, and impacts every aspect of life. 

One thing we’ve learned is there is still a culture of silence in parts of Argentine society. “What’s worse than not wanting to know is wanting not to know.” This idea permeates American culture and is one of the greater barriers to social change. Younger generations seem to be pushing to break this, but it is difficult when people are advocating to not teach schoolchildren basic American history. We must know in order to not repeat the past. Nunca Mas. 

Argentine political culture is driven by the past and its horrors. It’s heartening to see and meet so many people dedicating their time and lives to change. The United States needs to face its past in totality.

Nunca Más

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When visiting what remains of Club Atletico, I was surprised by how little remained. One would assume that the destruction of what was once a detention center was intentional, but this was a coincidence. Similar to what happened at la perla, survivors have come together and have provided testimony of the horrors that occurred there. After the end of the dictatorship, the community in Buenos Aires came together to ensure that what happened at Club Atletico was not forgotten. I think that it is harder for me to grasp that this was a clandestine detention center because of how little of it remains, but I really admire the actions taken to ensure that no one forgets what happened here. Excavation is still happening at Club Atletico, so much like the other detention center we visited, a significant amount of evidence has not been discovered. For me, this memory site highlighted how these operations were done in plain sight. Although it is stated in Nunca Mas that even families with influence were scared to say anything to protect their family members, I could not imagine living in these neighborhoods or passing by these buildings while aware of what was happening and not saying anything. I could also not imagine being threatened by a government that was torturing and surveying its citizens. I think that Club Atletico being in such a public area should serve as a reminder of the people who were lost. 

A day – or two – in the life

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The first two days in Buenos Aires have been packed full of experiences. Taking in the size of the city, we arrived early at our hotel. Luckily Rachita and I were able to check into our room early and get some rest before our activities. We toured various sites in Buenos Aires via bus and saw different parts of Palermo. Our guide was explaining to us that there are class levels similar to those in the U.S., but when we asked how much the middle-middle-class makes, it was around $200. Comparatively, we drove through extremely nice neighborhoods that held nice houses and many embassies for various other countries. It was overwhelming to take in Buenos Aires – I fear I won’t get to experience all it has to offer. 

We stopped at Cemetery de la Recoleta, where Eva Peron is buried. It was the most unreal cemetery I’ve ever seen – hauntingly gorgeous. Unlike any cemetery I’ve seen, which admittedly isn’t many, Cemetery de la Recoleta was rows and rows of tombs. It looked like a neighborhood of mini-houses. It takes immense wealth to upkeep such sites, and there were some tombs that clearly hadn’t been maintained in years. 

Eva Peron’s tomb.

Our third activity on the first day was a house dedicated to Evita “Eva” Peron. The house was a place Eva had founded for women to seek resources and jobs. I knew that Eva was revered in Argentina, but I had no idea of the incredible work she did for underrepresented communities in Argentina. 

The infirmary as compared to the map, is marked as #5. The map compared to the site itself shows just how much has yet to be uncovered.

Today was much heavier. We went to Club Atletico, or what remains of it. The building was originally a police uniform factory, with a detention and torture center in the basement. After the dictatorship, it was torn down and a highway was built on top. Archeologists have taken years to uncover only a sliver of the basement. We were able to see parts of the cells, the bathroom, and the infirmary. It was insane to imagine that right off one of the bigger roads in Buenos Aires were hundreds of people being tortured and starved. It was surreal to stand under a busy highway and in front of a barely recognizable memorial site. We visited a museum of sorts a few blocks from Club Atletica, where I read testimonials from prisoners that were very moving. 

A plaque outside Virrey Cevalles.

After a quick lunch, we walked to Virrey Cevallos, a memory site tucked between houses on a quiet street. There we met Osvaldo. He talked to us a little bit with preliminary information about the site and then left us alone until the end. We were taken through the house and read testimonials. We were told a story about a prisoner who escaped from Virrey Cevallos by climbing out after his cell wasn’t properly locked. He climbed out and went from roof to roof. We learned he eventually was forced to return to the center after his family was threatened. The second we left the building, Fernando revealed to us that Osvaldo was the escapee. He wasn’t sure why it wasn’t mentioned but didn’t want to bring it up. My jaw dropped. I knew Osvaldo had been there, but to be someone with such a well-known story and keep it in had to take a certain level of humility. We speculate that he didn’t bring his story up not because he suppresses his trauma, but because he doesn’t want to be the center of attention.

It was a long and heavy day, but each time I come to these places I leave with a new appreciation for the privileged life I have, as well as a frustration at my overwhelming American-ness. 

Day in the life

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The drive to our hotel in Buenos Aires did not prepare me for what a beautiful and historical city this was. We first visited Recoleta a cemetery that mainly holds the bodies of politicians and celebrated figures in Argentina. We also passed the San Martin museum, as we learned in cordoba he is the liberator of Argentina and he has a square in every city. I enjoyed visiting the museum of Eva Peron. The most interesting thing we learned here was about her involvement in women’s suffrage. She was only able to vote once in her lifetime but she was such an important figure.

 

Eva Perón

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Before visiting Eva Perón’s museum, I did not understand how important she was to Argentina. Seeing the mausoleum she now rests on also did not indicate her significance. Still, I now know that is the result of kidnapping and removal by the military. Evita accomplished so much in only 33 years. The transit home she opened seems to be the most significant. By purchasing a mansion for houseless women and children, she exclaimed that all people deserved to live an equal life and the sharing of wealth is necessary. I think the closest person to a First Lady similar to her in the US would have been Eleanor Roosevelt, but I am not entirely sure that is a fair comparison. Her role as a humanitarian shows the importance of upholding the freedoms of others. This idea is expressed in ‘Criminalizing Human Rights Violations,’ and I think Evita embodied these ideals perfectly. I thought it was interesting that we could not photograph any of her dresses because I think the very with most public figures who are women, their clothing has become idolized (I.e., Jackie Kennedy’s pink suit or Princess Diana’s wedding dress). Still, at this museum, it seemed as though they wanted the focus to be on her activism and not on what she was wearing.

Eva “Evita” Peron Museum

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I got to visit the Museum of Eva ‘Evita’ Peron. Before visiting I had no idea who she was and how important she was to the Argentinian community. I feel like we had a lot in common, especially being raised by a single mother who had to do what she could to provide for me and my siblings. I was inspired to know that no matter the struggle, she left her home to follow her dreams. She excelled as an actress and made a great name for herself before ever being First Lady. 

  

There were many ways that Mrs.Peron could have used her life, but she used it to make sure women and children received the proper care and necessities they deserved. Women who were looking for jobs were introduced to sewing which she had seen her mom do for money as a child. There were several machines handed out by Mrs. Peron personally to show her true care for those she helped. She also made sure many children knew what it meant to be spoiled and treated as if they were equal to other children who came from richer backgrounds. It was also amazing to know that women from here are able to vote now because of her fight for them and herself! She was even seen voting from her sickbed after years of fighting for womens rights to vote, I know that was a legendary photo!

I feel we define human rights in everyday life and we protect them by doing what Mrs. Peron did in her life. She knew what it was like to come from nothing and made sure people who were just like her felt that they mattered. She made sure to promote freedom of opinion and expression and didn’t let anyone treat people like they didn’t matter. Her life is an example of how we should protect the human rights of others and use our voices to make a difference. 

Day in the Life- Recoleta Cemetery

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I got to visit the Recoleta Cemetery and couldn’t believe my eyes! There was an entire community for the Dead.  Each month the families have to continue paying taxes or else the state could resale the tomb homes to another family and unroot yours. Just when I thought paying rent was over, I realized HERE it still cost you even after death.

    As I walked through the cemetery, I got to see many tombs including the cherished Eva Peron. I didn’t know here how loved she was, but after visiting her museum. I see why now it would be important for her to be at such a Historical cemetery.

My favorite tomb to see was of Amia Figlia who was killed during an avalanche, and buried alongside her dog who surprisingly was dying at the same time. I saw many people touching the nose of the dog and decided that if I did, maybe it will produce more blessings and luck in my life. Fingers crossed! 

Experiencing the Legacy of Eva Peron

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I wasn’t expecting to be touched by the story of Eva Peron — after all, she was a politician’s wife from a different country, one I had absolutely no connection to nor its people. However, hearing her story, her mission, her efforts, and her legacy evoked emotions I didn’t see myself experiencing in the Eva Peron Museum; passion and inspiration. 

Eva Peron — fondly known as Evita by the Peronists of Argentina — was an actress, a social activist, and the former first lady of Argentina. She died of cervical cancer at the young age of 33 and spent the better half of her life working toward the rights of the working class, children, and women’s suffrage in Argentina.

As a person with little prior knowledge about Evita besides the superficial, visiting the Evita Museum was more than enlightening, it provided me a window through which to see Evita in the way the Argentine people viewed her and showed me why they saw her as such. The museum led us through the four main stages of her life — childhood, stardom, first lady, and activist — and the way I saw it, used her fashion as an integral storytelling tool to illustrate the various stages of Evita’s life.

“I was faced with two paths: a concrete paved road, that of a President’s wife, and a forest trail, but with the charm of being the one that brought me in contact with the heart of the Argentine people, who are worth any sacrifice and effort”

When we walked through the first room, a very powerful quote caught my eye before I necessarily even knew anything about her. Her quote spoke to me profoundly and in my mind, painted an image of a woman who wanted to use her position of power to make a difference to her people, even if it might not be an easy path. As we learned as we walked through the museum and heard about her rise to power, Evita’s actions earned her a spot in a favorable light in the eyes of some but to others, she symbolized change — a threat even — to their positions of power. 

 

Evita’s story to me symbolized a very draining yet powerful story I’ve had repeated to me several times through various historical figures who have tried to push the needle. It’s a story of change, loss, and legacy. 

Human Rights: Do we focus on the past or present?

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One idea that stuck out to me during one of our discussions was the debate over which human rights violations should be memorialized/fought for more heavily. Gabe mentioned a professor of psychology, Albert Colaski, who spent five years in various prisons around Argentina, including La Perla. He became the Chair of Human Rights at the Faculty of Psychology at UNC and became controversial due to his ideas about human rights. He made the point that human rights violations occur every day – in the form of homelessness, unequal rights between men and women, etc. Fernando told me that Colaski trained police officers on human rights issues. People criticized him because they felt he was enabling the state  – who to many, is the enemy. However, as Fernando said, it is worth it to train police officers basic respect to the people they “serve.” It is better than nothing. While it is still incredibly important to memorialize past human rights violations like the military dictatorship and sites such as La Perla, I think it’s just as important to fight for ongoing and everyday human rights violations. In our conversation it was brought up that there was a debate between victims of the dictatorship and those who simply lived through it; there was disagreement on whether victims should dominate the conversations surrounding memorializing human rights. As I understand it, victims and those who strongly believed in justice for victims were upset at Colaski for his encouragement on focusing on more issues. I think this particular issue is important because many people don’t necessarily view issues like inequity or homelessness or women’s issues to be human rights violations. In reality, they definitely are. If we overlook these issues and focus entirely on the past, nothing will be done about people suffering in the present. I think there is a way to fight for both – memorializing the past and educating people in the present so that particular event never happens again, and also recognizing that there are current problems that need immediate attention. If we are willing to be compliant and overlook “smaller” things, where is the bar for what we won’t tolerate?

 

Reflections

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This picture is not what it seems.  It is a picture of the room inside of D2 that contains all the photographs of the victims.  (See the faces on the door.) However, it is shot through the glass window which is reflecting the church across el Pasaje Santa Caterina.  The overpowering image of the church mimics the influence of the church in Argentina at the time.  How complicit was the Church?  Surely the clergy had to know about these atrocities since they were happening literally next door. Surely parishioners would have confided in them and asked for help.  Could they have done anything about it?  Did they help in the inquisition?  How do they deal with their guilt?

In E. Hammer’s Remembering the Disappeared:  Science Fiction Film in Post-Dictatorship Argentina the theme of institutional Catholicism’s complicity with the dictatorship is addressed in sci-fi movies Man Facing Southeast and K-Pax.  And, although Hammer’s article was about several science fiction films, it mentions that this theme is also present in La historia oficial which was not sci-fi.   (It also references an article that Fernando wrote in Latin American Literary Review on another subject).

One thing we can learn from this experience of abuse is that if you think something is wrong, you need to try to do something about it no matter what those who should be leading and protecting you are doing.  Do the right thing at the right time for the right reason.