Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo announce grandson number 138 found: kidnapped during Argentine dictatorship

Newly solved case brings to 138 the number of children found by the Grandmothers, son of a pair of Montoneros activists who disappeared in 1976

The human rights organization Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo announced with great excitement the discovery of grandson number 138, one of the many children born during Argentina’s dictatorship (1976-1983) and taken from their political activist parents. The child, born in December 1976, is the son of Marta Enriqueta Pourtalé and Juan Carlos Villamayor, both members of the Montoneros guerrilla movement, who disappeared after being kidnapped from their home in Buenos Aires.

According to Grandmothers’ president Estela de Carlotto, on December 10, 1976, Pourtalé and Villamayor were kidnapped by men in civilian clothes. Marta, who was eight and a half months pregnant, was allegedly taken with her husband to the infamous torture and extermination center of the ‘Escuela superior de mecánica de la armada’ (Esma), one of the most terrible places of repression, where more than 5,000 political prisoners were detained, and where, it is estimated, more than 30 babies were born. Only about 100 of those prisoners managed to survive. Nephew number 138 was identified through DNA tests conducted by the National Commission for the Right to Identity (CoNaDi), which has been dealing with cases of children who disappeared during the dictatorship since 1999.

This finding represents an important victory for memory and for the families who, after decades, continue to fight to know the truth about their loved ones. It is the first grandchild found since the beginning of the presidency of Javier Milei, known for his controversial positions on the country’s dictatorial past. Indeed, Milei and his vice president, Victoria Villarruel, have questioned the number of desaparecidos declared by human rights organizations, raising concerns about the future of policies related to historical memory in Argentina.

This finding comes after the last major announcement, dating back to September 2023, when four cases of families seeking their children born during their mothers’ captivity were resolved. The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo continue their tireless search, restoring identity to now-adult children torn from their biological parents for being raised in families close to the regime.

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