Estela de Carlotto

Estela de Carlotto, born on October twenty-second, nineteen thirty, is a prominent Argentine teacher, human rights defender, and politician. She is best known as the president of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an organization dedicated to the search for the children of those who were disappeared during Argentina's military dictatorship.

Her personal journey into activism began with the tragic kidnapping of her daughter, Laura Estela Carlotto, who was pregnant at the time and went missing in Buenos Aires in late nineteen seventy-seven. Through various accounts, Estela learned that her daughter had given birth to a boy, who was subsequently appropriated and had his identity altered. This revelation ignited a relentless search that lasted nearly thirty-six years.

On August fifth, two thousand fourteen, Estela's perseverance bore fruit when a DNA test confirmed the identity of her grandson, making him the one hundred fourteenth child to be recovered by the organization. This moment was not only a personal victory for Estela but also a significant milestone in the ongoing struggle for human rights in Argentina.

Throughout her career, Estela de Carlotto has been honored with numerous accolades for her tireless work with the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. Among these are the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize awarded by UNESCO. In two thousand fifteen, she was recognized as one of BBC's one hundred Women, highlighting her impact on human rights advocacy.