Adelina Dematti de Alaye

This name uses Argentine naming customs for married women: the birth family name is Dematti and the marital name is Alaye.

Adelina Ethel Dematti de Alaye (June 5, 1927 – May 24, 2016) was an Argentine human rights activist who co-founded the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an organization of mothers whose children disappeared during the Dirty War of the 1970s and early 1980s.[1][2] She became known as "la madre fotógrafa," or "the mother photographer," for her documentation of the Argetine dictatorship and the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo through her photography.[1] Her collection was later declared a "Memory of the World" by UNESCO.[1][2] In addition to her work with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Dematti was also active within the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH).[1][2]

Dematti was a native of Chivilcoy, Buenos Aires Province, where she was born in 1927.[1] She lived in Carhué, Azul, and Brandsen before moving to La Plata with her family.[2]

Her 21-year-old son, Carlos Esteban, was kidnapped On May 5, 1977, while riding his bicycle in the Ensenada neighborhood of Buenos Aires during the Dirty War.[3] The kidnappers, dressed in civilian clothing, were recognized as members of the Argentine Navy.[2] Her son's disappearance led to her involvement with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.[2]

In 2009, the National University of La Plata awarded Dematti an honorary doctorate for her activism on behalf of human rights.[1] She was also honored as an illustrious citizen by the cities of Chivilcoy and La Plata.[1][2]

Adelina Dematti de Alaye died in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, on May 24, 2016, at the age of 88.[1]

References

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