Minister for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini pledged full support today to President of the Argentine association Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo Estela Carlotto, with whom she met with Under-Secretary Mario Giro. “We wish to maintain the close bond that has united us over all these years in the battle for truth and justice that we will continue to wage”, the minister assured.
Mrs. Carlotto thanked the minister and the government for its contribution to the search to uncover the fate of so many desaparecidos, including those of Italian descent and dual citizenship, during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship. Italy has already turned over thousands of foreign ministry documents, most of which from the files of Italian diplomatic missions in Argentina. “We intend to personally deliver the remaining files on a trip to Buenos Aires in the coming months, Minister Mogherini announced.
“Italy will support the campaign for information on the desaperacidos sponsored by the Argentine government in the name of the grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo. The traces of 120 children kidnapped from their mothers during the tragic events of the dictatorship have been found, but another 400 are still unaccounted for. Argentina maintains that some of them could be in Italy”, Under-Secretary Giro stated.