On July 28th, in the context of the ESMA Museum and Site of Memory’s candidacy to the UNESCO World Heritage List, representatives Hugo Yasky, Cristina Álvarez Rodriguez and Monica Macha, who promoted the support given a week earlier to the nomination, toured the Museum. They were joined by Laura García Vázquez, daughter of detained-disappeared persons.
The visit was led by the executive director of the Museum Alejandra Naftal, who guided the representatives on the tour. At the end, there was a meeting between the aforementioned and the team behind the Work Plan of the candidacy, to inform the visitors about the progress of the project.
After the tour, Yasky, who is the president of the Human Rights Commission in Congress, stated that «this place must be known not only by Argentines but by the whole world, that is why declaring it a World Heritage Site means clearing away the horror and contributing to ensure that these crimes do not happen again in any part of the world”.
For her part, Mónica Macha, who chairs the Commission for Women and Diversity, defined the Museum as «a testimony that permanently speaks of what happened in our country» and argued that «it is important that it be recognized by UNESCO to preserve it, because it is part of our history and a very important pedagogical experience”.
“You go through a lot of sensations when you walk through this place, but mostly the conviction that Argentina is a world pioneer as it managed to bring those responsible of genocide to trial. The acquiescence declaration issued by Congress is related to reinforcing the history of this building and that importance it has», said Álvarez Rodríguez.
Finally, Laura García Vázquez, whose parents were detained-disappeared by State terrorism, was also present at the visit. “The Museum tour is a reflection on the way hatred and intolerance towards a certain group of people who are not considered similar can end up in the worst of exterminations. It is very important that this place is known by the world”, she stated.
