CEJIL mourns the loss of Juan Gelman, the poet who fought for truth and justice

Washington D.C., January 15, 2014. The Center for Justice and International Law would like to send its deepest condolences to the granddaughter, wife, and family of the Argentine poet, Juan Gelman, who passed away January 14, 2014 in Mexico City. Gelman was 83 years old.

Juan Gelman’s career in the world of letters is unquestionable and he received noteworthy recognition at a regional and global level. More so, the poet was an example in the struggle against impunity and in uncovering the truth in respect to the grave violations of human rights committed during the dictatorships in the Southern Cone of the Americas, especially in Argentina, his country of origin, and Uruguay.

His dedication to social movements was constant throughout his life, in part due to the suffering he and his family endured from Plan Cóndor. In 1976 his son, Marcelo Gelman, and daughter-in-law, María Claudia García Iruretagoyena, were kidnapped in Buenos Aires. At the time of her kidnapping, 19-year-old María was pregnant.

Shortly after their kidnapping, Marcelo Gelman was executed, and María Claudia was transferred to and then detained in a clandestine center where, in November 1976, María gave birth to her daughter. Both mother and daughter remained together until December of that year, when María Claudia disappeared with her whereabouts unknown since.

After their disappearances, Juan Gelman began his relentless search for his granddaughter, Macarena, who he succeeded in finding 23 years after her birth.

In 1989, Marcelo’s remains were found in the Río de Plata canal, subsequently leading to the condemnation of those responsible for his execution. Meanwhile, María Claudia’s case remained in impunity in Uruguay.

Thus, Juan and Macarena, represented by CEJIL, united before the Inter-American Court on Human Rights to question the lack of truth regarding the whereabouts of Macarena’s mother, María Claudia. At the same time, they denounced the ongoing impunity associated with the application of Law 15.848, Uruguay’s amnesty law, known as the Expiry Law or in Spanish the Ley de Caducidad, which prohibits the judgment of crimes committed by the military and police during the country’s dictatorship.

In February 2011, the Inter-American Court issued its decision in the case, condemning Uruguay for the forced disappearance of María Claudia and the violations suffered by Macarena Gelman and her family. The High Tribunal declared the Expiry Law incompatible with the American Convention on Human Rights and ordered the Uruguayan State to repeal it.

Despite the Court’s strong ruling, we regret that Juan Gelman never lived to see the Uruguayan Law repealed. Additionally, to this date, Uruguay has not identified María Claudia’s whereabouts nor has it punished those responsible for her disappearance.

Juan Gelman not only leaves a valued cultural legacy throughout the Americas, but will also be remembered as an emblematic figure for the movement of victims of crimes committed by dictatorships. His determination and perseverance in the search for truth and justice will continue inspiring the efforts of many people in the region.