"Brrr, it's chilly." "No, it's Argentina."

A few history lessons, as promised:

During the most recent dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983), just as in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship, thousands of people with “radical” political affiliations were tortured, killed, and exiled. In Argentina’s case, the estimated number of “desaparecidos” (people who disappeared) is around 30,000. Can you imagine? This past week we got the opportunity to visit one of the major torture centers in Buenos Aires, where an estimated 5,000 people were taken, all but 200 never to be seen again. It was originally a school, and the crazy part is that it remained a school during the years it acted as a torture center, while students still had classes! Somehow, though, it was kept a secret for all those years, even from the students.

We walked through the hallways, saw the torture rooms, read testimonies of survivors, and just stood in awe of the history we were witnessing. It’s hard to describe the sadness I felt while on the tour, especially when we came upon the room where they kept the pregnant women. Our guide told us that when the women gave birth, the men would immediately take the babies and give them to families of the military! To this very day, there are still young adults finding out that they are actually the son or daughter of a torture victim, raised their entire lives in a lie. If I’m not mistaken, there are between 60 and 70 such identified children.

Today, the torture center and school campus is a memorial site for the torture victims and also home to many human rights organizations, a symbol that it will never happen again (“nunca más” is their slogan).

Another big focus of our time here in Buenos Aires—and an extremely powerful reminder of the dictatorship years—has been spending time with the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo. “Las Madres” are, quite literally, the mothers of young men and women who were killed during the dictatorship. They all joined forces 32 years ago to demand justice from the government for the disappearance of their children. Their story is very well-known around the world for their perseverance and defense of human rights. Here’s why: EVERY Thursday at 3:30 in the Plaza de Mayo, the Madres gather and walk around the plaza with pictures of their children, protesting for justice and remembrance. We participated in the 1,599th march with the Madres, some of whom are in their 90s and haven’t missed more than a handful. They do so much more than protest every Thursday, though. They have started schools, built public housing, raised money, and so much more, all with the goal to fulfill the dreams of their children. They are remarkable women, with whom we felt so honored to have spent time.

Between these studies of human rights in Argentina, seminars, and visits to six schools around the city, our time to explore the city has been rather limited. In this past two weeks, however, I have managed to do the following:
1) Lose my debit/credit card.
2) Cancel my debit/credit card.
3) Miss my host mom in Santiago.
4) Tame our dog to the point that she's actually excited to see me when I get home. (So much so that she sometimes pees all over the floor.)
5) Make chocolate chip cookies with my three siblings. It was a success.

I will miss the cafes in Buenos Aires. Especially this one in particular, which gives a free scoop of icecream with an order of coffee.

This is La Boca, a very famous section of Buenos Aires.

And of course, our experience wouldn't be the same without a little tango!

Tomorrow we fly back to Santiago (those of us who aren't staying in Buenos Aires to do our research), and then starts the independent project period of the semester. I will be traveling back to Temuco, Chile, where we stayed with the Mapuche families. This time, however, I'll be in the city, living with a different host family. My project theme involves Mapuche women, education, and gender equality (it's a bit more focused than that, but I know it will evolve into something slightly different once I begin my work). We are all sad to say goodbye to each other for a month yet ready for a change in the program, for more independence with our schedules. I'll try my best to keep the updates coming when I'm in Temuco and let you know how my research is evolving.

Thanks to all who are persevering in following my blog; it means a lot to me.

Jenna