[Marxism] Mothers of the New York Disappeared

["Tony Abdo" <gojack10@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

New York's Dirty War By Anthony Papa, AlterNet
March 24, 2004

On Feb. 5, 2004, a historic march took place at the Plaza de Mayo circle in
Buenos Aires, Argentina. For over 25 years, Argentine mothers have come to
the circle to protest against the disappearance of their love ones from the
despicable acts of the military dictatorship of Argentina, which formed in
1976. What made the day different this year was that members of the Mothers
of the New York Disappeared joined them. They came to Argentina to pay
homage to the Mothers who had inspired them in their seven-year struggle
against the Rockefeller drug laws of New York State.

Two groups of mothers from worlds apart united against the violation of
human rights. It was a bright, sunny day. Dozens of elderly women marched
through the plaza, praying that their dedication might somehow bring justice
to the children of the disappeared. Old women from the Asociation Madres de
Plaz De Mayo ? the most radical of several groups participating ? began the
march waving bright blue flags proudly displaying their logo. A banner
reading "Ni Un Paso A Tras!!" ? "No Step Back" ? was held tightly in frail
hands. A sea of white handkerchiefs adorned the heads of the Argentinean
mothers, gracefully marching in protest against atrocities that were
committed against them and their families. It is estimated that 30,000
people were kidnapped and murdered in the reign of terror that existed
between 1976 and 1983. In 1973, a similar reign silently began in New York
State. The draconian Rockefeller drug laws sentenced thousands of men and
women, many non-violent offenders, to life imprisonment. They were
"disappeared" from the roles they played in society. For over thirty years,
these laws have devastated and destroyed families.

Although the acts of the New York legislature were not of the same caliber
as those implemented by the Argentinean dictatorship, the enactment of the
Rockefeller drug laws was similarly a violation of human rights. Over 94
percent of the population incarcerated in New York State prisons are people
of color. In 1998 the Mothers of the NY Disappeared was formed to fight to
repeal these laws. In five years, using street level protests inspired by
the actions of Argentinean mothers, they managed to change the political
climate of New York State by putting a human face on the issue of the drug
war. In 2001, for the first time in 27 years, the governor of New York along
with the Senate and Assembly all agreed that the laws must be changed. Acute
disagreement on what changes should be made, however, threw the repeal of
the laws into limbo.

Meanwhile, over 16,000 men and women convicted under these laws are wasting
away in New York State prisons. One member of the Mothers group from New
York was Julie Colon, an aspiring actress whose mother, Melita Oliviera, a
first time non-violent offender, had served 13 years of a 15-to-life
sentence for the sale of cocaine before she was granted clemency two years
ago by Governor George Pataki. "My mother had made a mistake, and she paid
dearly for it," said Colon. I am here to join with other mothers and family
members to share the pain of losing someone dear. Although it was not
finite, the act of her being taken from my life for all those years was
devastating to me." Julie was placed in foster care. Her case is
representative of many others in the NY group including Arlene Olberg, whose
baby was born in prison while she was serving time under the Rockefeller
drug laws.

The pain of losing someone dear is what ties the American families who have
lost sons and daughters to the Rockefeller drug laws with the Argentinean
families who lost members to the brutal dictatorship. The Abuelas de Plaza
de Mayo ? the grandmothers of the disappeared ? was formed on October 22,
1977, and remains dedicated to finding the children that were stolen from
them. In an attempt at political repression, the dictatorship would kidnap
pregnant women and put them in concentration camps where their children were
born. Then they were murdered and their children were put up for adoption.
To date 77 children have been found through DNA testing.

President of the group, Estela de Carlotto, lost her daughter on November
26, 1977. Laura Estella de Carlotto had been a militant student at the
university. Estela, a soft-spoken woman in her 70s, said, "we had warned her
of the danger, but she wanted to change the country." Nine months after her
kidnapping, the military police called Estela to tell her that her
21-year-old daughter had been assassinated. Estela notes that protesting the
kidnappings "was dangerous, some of us were kidnapped and assassinated."
Their perserverance paid off. Recently the government annulled two immunity
laws of those who committed the atrocities, allowing the law to be able to
prosecute them. Estela said that "the new president opens his doors to us
all the time because he belongs to the same generation of the children that
disappeared."

Members of another group, called the Madres de Plaza de Mayo Linea
Fundadora, told a similar story. Their office walls were adorned with photos
of love ones that had disappeared. Some of the women had pictures of
murdered family members draped around their necks in the place of jewelry.
In a round table discussion the Mothers of the New York Disappeared and the
Madres de Plaza de Mayo Linea Fundadora exchanged information about each
groups' struggle. At the end of the meeting their leader suggested that she
write an open letter to the governor of New York State asking him repeal the
laws. The letter would be signed by many organizations that fight for human
rights in Argentina. "We thanked them for their generosity and
understanding. We went there not knowing how they would accept us" said
Luciana, the wife of a former Rockefeller drug offender who attended the
meeting. "Seeing these women gives me the strength to continue my fight to
change these laws."

Some might argue that the families of those incarcerated under the
Rockefeller drug laws have not suffered as much as the Madres in Argentina.
But for 30 years the oppression of these laws has been felt in New York.
Both groups of mothers, worlds apart, are connected by their respective
struggles. In mid-April the Madres de Plaza de Mayo Linea Fundadora will
visit New York to meet with politicians and others to voice their protest.
For more information, visit www.15yearstolife.com. Anthony Papa is
co-founder of the Mothers of the New York Disappeared. He served 12 years of
a 15-to-life sentence under the Rockefeller drug laws. His book "15 To Life"
is being published in fall 2004 by Feral House

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argentina's notorious death camp recovered for democracy
03/25/2004 Pravda

In the School of Naval Mechanics of Buenos Aires, over 5,000 were killed and
much more tortured during the military ruling between 1976 and 1983.
President Kirchner authorized to erect a monument in honor of the victims
and in an unprecedented act in the history of Latin America apologized, on
behalf of the State, for the crimes committed there.

Argentineans lived a moving day on Wednesday. To mark the 28th anniversary
of a military coup that stripped the South American country of democracy and
left, according to Human rights groups estimations, up to 30,000 people
systematically persecuted, kidnapped and murdered by the state between 1976
and 1983, the government authorized to create+ a "Museum to Memory", in the
building that once hosted one of the most horrendous death camps during the
dirty war.

The notorious School of Naval Mechanics, or ESMA by its initials in Spanish,
was the grave of no less than 5,000 people, reported by the authorities at
that time as "disappeared". There, the Argentine Navy tortured and killed
what they called "terrorists and insurgents" in their criminal crusade
against "communism". Only a handful survived.

One of Kirchner's biggest priorities is to put that to rights. "Not even
full justice will make amends for the aberration Argentines had to endure.
But we have to work with the tools at our disposal," he said this month.
Esma is the most potent symbol of the barbarous cruelty the country's
military leaders unleashed on the population.

However, the moving day had started earlier in the morning when Kirchner
himself ordered Army Chief Commander, Roberto Bendini, to remove the picture
of Jorge Rafael Videla, Army Chief and de facto president of Argentina
between 1976 and 1981, from a wall at the Army School.

Kirchner addressed a strong statement to the Army staff in which he asked
the military "not to interfere with the normal constitutional order of the
country again, as the State terrorism was one of the bloodiest and unjust
experiences the Argentine people had to live in history".

Then, Kirchner, his ministers and the Major of the Buenos Aires city, Anibal
Ibarra, left the place to take part in the commemorative acts before the
walls of the ESMA. In a quite emotional and simple act both officials signed
the documents allowing human rights groups as the world famous "Mothers of
Plaza de Mayo" to set up a museum in honor of the victims of the State
terrorism.

A visible moved Kirchner listened to several poems written by either killed
or survivor prisoners in the ESMA, including one belonging of one of his
young fellows when he was a college student. The Spanish singer Joan Manuel
Serrat, played his famous song "To Liberty", choired by the many thousands
of people that attend to the ceremony.

Later, in an unprecedented act in the history of Latin America, Kirchner
apologized, on behalf of the State, for the crimes committed during the
dirty war of the seventies. "I come here as President of Argentina to
apologize, on behalf of the State, for having kept silenced during two
decades of democratic ruling".

"The speech of our president was excellent. It really moved me", told
PRAVDA.RU, Ebe de Bonafini, leader of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo
Association. "I feel happy because it is the vindication of our dead
children. They were with us, today.", she added.

And one can only say yes. From the shadows of the horror which meant the
dungeons of the School of Naval Mechanics for a generation plenty of life,
they shouted with the crowd: "30,000 of disappeared Argentineans: Present!".

Photo: Army chief removes Videla's picture at the Army School. Kirchner
looks over.

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