106th Baby Stolen in Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’ Found

An Argentine man who was stolen from his parents in 1978 during the former ruling military dictatorship’s “Dirty War” was reunited with his biological family on Wednesday for the first time.
106th Baby Stolen in Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’ Found
8/8/2012
Updated:
8/9/2012

An Argentine man who was stolen from his parents in 1978 during the former ruling military dictatorship’s “Dirty War” was reunited with his biological family on Wednesday for the first time.

The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a human rights group dedicated to finding babies taken during the Dirty War—where human rights organizations estimate that 30,000 people “disappeared” in the 1970s—said they found the 106th stolen baby.

Pablo Javier Gaona Miranda, 34, was identified as the son of parents who disappeared in 1978, reported the BBC.

“Pablo Javier always knew that he was adopted,” Grandmothers’ President, Estela de Carlotta, was quoted as saying by the broadcaster. He was born in April 1978, and his parents were kidnapped by the military one month later, and never seen again. Pablo Javier was given to a family by an army colonel.

His biological family has been searching for him since the late 1970s.

“And to all of my brothers, I say to them, we have a nephew. Another nephew, who is the first grandchild, the first nephew. And, well, now we are going to enjoy him,” Pablo Javier’s uncle told the BBC.

In July, Argentinian prosecutors have begun to speed up trials for officials accused of violating human rights during the Dirty War. Many of the former officials being prosecuted have died before their trial reached completion.

“There were concerns about the length of the trials and the revictimization of witnesses,” Pedro David, the head of the Argentine National Appeals Court, who pushed reforms regarding the trials this year, told the Miami Herald.