a day for the history books

I've been in Buenos Aires for a little over a week now, and I've definitely gotten used to the different hassles and the conveniences of the city life. It's a pretty drastic change from life in Patagonia, and I'm finding that to be quite refreshing. It's been nice being parked in the same spot for a while, not having put any energy into finding a place to stay or worrying about finding my way around a new city.

That said, I'm getting ready to start doing exactly that once again.

I've spent a number of days here just wandering around the city, visiting the different book stores, parks, and cafes, and doing a lot of people watching. The city has a nice feel to it -- it's quite manageable, despite its large size. There are an amazing number of parks throughout the city, with lots of green grass and healthy-looking trees. And, of course, there's always a lot going on.

Yesterday was an interesting day to be in Buenos Aires, as it marked the 28th anniversary of the military coup that started the "dirty war" in Argentina. (For a brief summary, google offered me this article, which should get the gist across. The number of missing people, listed in that article as 11,000, is hotly contested and believed to be between 15,000 and 30,000.)

This year there was a major celebration as the government made some major steps toward recognizing the past problems. The ESMA, a good sized campus in Buenos Aires and a major torture center during the dirty war was given by the fedral government to the city of Buenos Aires so that a museum of remembrance could be created there. For the first time in 27 years the buildings were open to the public.

I went over there in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I arrived too late to hear the president's remarks or to see the short concert that followed. However, I found it fascinating to wander through the campus, looking at the people and the buildings. The area itself is like almost any school -- lots of non-descript buildings, surrounded by green grass, wide sidewalks, and numerous trees. Were it not for the knowledge of the terrible history of the place, I would have found it a pleasant place to relax and enjoy some shade on a warm day in the city.

The people wandering through the buildings and around the grounds offered an interesting mix of emotions and reactions. Outside, along the lawn, families and small groups of people sat together talking, perhaps sipping maté, seeming generally quiet but contented. Nearer to one of the larger buildings a group of teenagers walked along carrying several large banners calling for peace. A small march had started to form behind them, with a mixture of people young and old, parents and children.

Inside of of the buildings a drum circle had formed, people danced excitedly, and confetti fell from the upper floors. There was a tremendous energy here -- the load beat of the drums reverberating off the walls of the large, empty room.

Other buildings were quieter, somber, as people walked through and reflected on what had taken place here during their lifetimes, perhaps thinking of a missing friend or family member.

Being in South America has made the political conflicts and struggles of the world much more real to me. Events like the dirty war in Argentina can be found in the history of most every nation in South America without having to look very far into the past. They have been major events in the lives of people here, people that I've met and talked to, people my age and younger.

I asked a group of Chileans, about my age that I met in southern Chile, about Pinochet and his impact on the life down there. One of a pair of cousins that were there answered me, pointing to his cousin, "My father went to jail during Pinochet's regime, and her father was in the army and put him there. We don't really talk about it much."

It's a new perspective, and one I'm glad to have gained.

Posted by vanwie at March 25, 2004 09:06 AM