This will be a difficult post to read. My heart aches for the women who have just shared their stories with us, stories of loss with no resolution or truth. What I am going to share of the stories of the "Madres" is at times graphic. But if we turn our face from it simply because it "turns us off" then we only perpetuate injustice.
Here are their stories ...
Una Madre spoke of the story of her brothers who were catechists during the early 80s. Both ended up being detained after which the family never heard of them again. Her family would hear of bodies being discovered and they would go to identify their relatives but the skin of their faces would often be removed making it incredibly difficult to identify their loved ones. After losing her brothers her husband and son were both killed. She just kept experiencing pain and loss. She wants justice and she wants to know the truth. I cannot imagine the "not knowing" questions never to be answered ...
Segunda Madre spoke of losing her son in 1980. I could hear the pain in her words. But it was the second part of her story that brought audible gasps. She lost a second son who disappeared in 2012. She believes this only proves the continued existence of death squads. This was almost harder to hear than the stories of the civil war ... We are talking three years ago!
What most struck me was her reason for wanting the truth—she wants to give her sons a proper Christian burial. To me this speaks of the deep need for justice and truth ... These women, these families, this country has no closure. She said, "how can we forget something that is still bleeding in our hearts? The wounds are not being reopened, they have never healed!"
I want to end with her final remarks, "I know that you too feel the pain and suffering because you too lost your sisters."
Con Paz y justicia,
Sarita
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