The Argentine human rights activist Rosa Roisinblit has died at the age of 106, her organization has confirmed.
She was the honorary president and a founding member of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, a notable group that sought to find children who were abducted during Argentina's military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983.
We only have words of gratitude for her dedication... and the love with which she searched for the grandsons and granddaughters until the very end, the campaign group stated.
Estimates suggest that around 30,000 individuals were murdered or forcibly disappeared during this period in Argentina, often referred to as the 'Dirty War'. Many children of politically engaged individuals were seized and placed for illegal adoption.
Born in 1919 in Moises Ville, a hub for Jewish immigrants in Argentina, Roisinblit worked as an obstetrician and relocated to Buenos Aires in 1949, marrying in 1951.
After the military coup in March 1976, she, like many others, faced a personal tragedy. Her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild were abducted in 1978 due to their leftist views. Patricia, Rosa's daughter, was kept alive long enough to give birth in captivity but was never seen again. Rosa was able to raise her surviving granddaughter, Mariana, who was returned to her after being adopted by the military.
Roisinblit dedicated herself to the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, serving as treasurer and vice-president, leading efforts that have reunited over 140 families with their missing children.
In 2000, through the efforts of the organization, she was reunited with her grandson, Guillermo, who had been adopted by military families under a false identity.
Roisinblit continued to attend trials against those responsible for the systematic abductions throughout her life and remained passionate about her cause. Living proof of dedication to justice, she stated in 2017, This wound never heals... But to say I'm stopping? No, I'll never stop. Her passing leaves a profound legacy for future generations in human rights advocacy.
