MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: New Plaza de Mayo grandson found within one week

Carlotto explained that Juan's mother had been abducted in Tucumán

Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo Wednesday announced that the 132nd grandson taken away from his blood family during Argentina's military dictatorship (1976-1983) had been found just 6 days after the discovery of Grandson # 131.

With this achievement, “2022 ends with the resolution of a new case that renews the hopes of this path of truth, memory, justice, and identity. We hope that 2023 will welcome us with many more encounters,” the organization said in a statement.

Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo Chairwoman Estela de Carlotto explained during a press conference in Buenos Aires that the name of “Grandson #132” was Juan, and that he was the son of Mercedes del Valle Morales, who was abducted in 1976 in Tucumán.

Juan, who participated in the conference through a video connection, admitted the biological identity of his father is yet to be determined.

Born on Aug. 20, 1954, Mercedes was kidnapped on May 20, 1976, in the city of Monteros in Tucumán. Her remains were identified by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) in 2010 and exhumed in the North Cemetery, in San Miguel de Tucumán. Juan's grandparents, José Ramón Morales and Toribia Del Tránsito Romero, and an uncle named Julio César Morales were also kidnapped and remain missing.

“We close the year with more truth. The Grandmothers recovered another grandchild, the 132nd. The restitution of the identity of each one of them generates deep emotion and joy. Thank you for this tireless struggle, dear Grandmothers,” President Alberto Fernández wrote.

”The Grandmothers did it again! Great joy for the restitution of the identity of another Argentine, grandson 132,″ Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) said on social media.

Carlotto had announced on Dec. 22 finding the “son of Lucía Angela Nadín and Aldo Hugo Quevedo from Mendoza,” who were both members of the PRT ERP guerrillas under the war names of “Chiquita” and “Dipy.”

After the arrest of a co-worker in May of 1976, Lucía and Aldo moved to Buenos Aires. Between September and October 1977, when Lucía was about three months pregnant, they were both kidnapped.

It had been a while since “Grandson # 130” had been found on June 10, 2019.