Argentinian revolutionary leader and human rights activist Hebe de Bonafini giving a speech as the flag of Argentina waves in the background. Photo: Twitter/@NicolasMaduro.
On Sunday, November 20, several Latin American nations came together to mourn the passing of Hebe de Bonafini, 93 years old and president of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, “an indispensable woman, fighter and deeply revolutionary who today, November 20, becomes eternal,” wrote the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, on Twitter.
“The Great Homeland honors a valuable woman, a fighter and deeply revolutionary who today, November 20, becomes eternal. Great Hebe de Bonafini! You will be forever in the hearts of the Venezuelan and Latin American people. We will remember you forever!” tweeted President Maduro.
La Patria Grande honra a una valiosa mujer, luchadora y profundamente revolucionaria que hoy 20Nov, se hace eterna. ¡Grande Hebe de Bonafini! Estarás por siempre en los corazones del pueblo venezolano y latinoamericano. ¡Te recordaremos eternamente! pic.twitter.com/qhAXMclY8a
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) November 20, 2022
The vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, also expressed her grief. “We are saddened by the departure of a great Latin American mother, Hebe de Bonafini. We will always feel deep respect, admiration, and pride for the dedication and commitment with which she fought for the rights of the most oppressed,” she wrote on her Twitter account. “Fly high!” she added.
Nos entristece la partida de una gran Madre latinoamericana, Hebe de Bonafini, siempre sentiremos profundo respeto, admiración y orgullo por la entrega y compromiso con la que luchó por los derechos humanos y los más humildes! Vuela alto! pic.twitter.com/TiRZ3Rqejp
— Delcy Rodríguez (@delcyrodriguezv) November 20, 2022
Maternal dignity of the Patria Grande
Venezuela’s foreign minister Carlos Faría joined Argentina in mourning the passing of Bonafini and emphasized that “she alone symbolizes the maternal dignity of the Patria Grande.”
“I join the mourning that seizes the Argentinian people and the mothers of the world for the departure of the human rights defender Hebe de Bonafini. She alone, key to the Plaza de Mayo and defender of the Bolivarian Revolution, symbolizes the maternal dignity of the Patria Grande,” he wrote on Twitter.
Me uno al duelo que embarga al pueblo argentino y a las madres del mundo por la partida física de la defensora de los DDHH Hebe de Bonafini. Su sola figura, clave de la Plaza de Mayo y defensora de la Revolución Bolivariana, simboliza la dignidad maternal de la Patria Grande. pic.twitter.com/sK6mdlAdht
— Carlos Faria (@Fariacrt) November 20, 2022
Additionally, the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, wrote that “[her] indomitable tenderness, [her] integrity, and the courage with which [she] defended the cause of the oppressed will remain with us forever.”
Queda para siempre con nosotros tu indoblegable ternura, tu entereza y la valentía con que defendiste la causa de los humildes hasta el último día de tránsito por este mundo. pic.twitter.com/G8HUff37JQ
— Jorge Rodríguez (@jorgerpsuv) November 20, 2022
Hebe de Bonafini
The president of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, Hebe de Bonafini, passed away at the age of 93, reported sources associated with the human rights leader.
According to Télam, Bonafini had been discharged from Hospital Italiano La Plata in Buenos Aires on October 13, after having been hospitalized for three days in order to undergo medical check-ups in regards to several chronic illnesses that had been ailing her.
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Bonafini was the mother of two disappeared children, a human rights defender, and an activist, and founded the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo association in 1977, with the purpose bringing awareness to people who had been disappeared during the last dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983).
Bonafini was born in a working-class neighborhood in the town of Ensenada, and on December 4, she would have turned 94 years old.
Duel in Argentina
Faced with this painful news, the government of Argentina decreed three days of national mourning to “pay tribute to Hebe, her memory, and her struggle that will always be present as a guide in difficult times,” reported Telesur.
El presidente de la nación, Alberto Fernández (@alferdez), despide con profundo dolor y respeto a Hebe de Bonafini, Madre de Plaza de Mayo y luchadora incansable por los derechos humanos. pic.twitter.com/bzgtcopHRC
— Casa Rosada (@CasaRosada) November 20, 2022
“The government and the people of Argentina recognize in her an international symbol of the search for memory, truth, and justice for the 30,000 disappeared,” reported a statement issued by the Argentinian government.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/KZ
