[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 156 (Monday, November 8, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE GRANDMOTHERS OF PLAZA DE MAYO

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, November 8, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of my 
colleagues the service and commitment of some outstanding women--the 
Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo. After 20 years, this non-profit 
organization has located 64 disappeared children of Argentina, and 
helped reunite the victims with their families, allowing them to 
recover their identity and their history. I want to commend the 
Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo on their efforts and their dedication in 
reuniting children who disappeared during the military dictatorship 
that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983 with their legitimate families.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1976, the armed forces of Argentina began a process 
of systematically violating some of the most fundamental human rights. 
This despotism resulted in the disappearance of over 30,000 persons, 
including hundreds of children. The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo have 
used many different tactics to search for these children who 
disappeared during the brutal tyranny of the military regime. Their 
primary purpose is to preserve the identity, roots and history of these 
children, which are the fundamental basis for human dignity.
  Fortunately, advances in science and technology have made it possible 
for these families to be reunited. Blood tests prove, with 99.95 
percent accuracy, that a child comes from a particular family. This is 
a difficult process, for which the professionals and volunteers 
involved must be commended.
  The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo have committed themselves to this 
praiseworthy endeavor. I am grateful for all they have accomplished, 
and I urge my colleagues to join me in commending them for their 
outstanding efforts and devotion to the cause of bringing justice to 
the families who suffered under Argentina's brutal military regime.

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