Alberto Fernández and Cristina Kirchner presented the Azucena Villaflor Awards | Together with Lula and José “Pepe” Mujica

Alberto Fernandez Y Cristina Fernández de Kirchner they were shown together again in the Casa Rosada Bicentennial Museum. Accompanied by former Brazilian presidents Luis Inácio Lula Da Silva and Uruguayan José Mujica, they delivered six recognitions to referents of the human rights movement and announced the signing of an agreement that establishes the unavailability of the Campo de Mayo property and allocates two sectors to form a memory space, as claimed by survivors and organizations.

“Democracy and human rights are concepts that go hand in hand. Democracy has to do with the rule of law and the rule of law has to do with guaranteeing freedoms and security to every citizen,” the President told deliver the Azucena Villaflor Awards.

The act did not last long but it condensed many emotions among those who were seated, listening to the words of the President and those who received the award that bears the name of one of the founders of Madres de Plaza de Mayo and, also, one of the victims of the state terrorism of the last civic-military dictatorship.

The ex-presidents participated in the ceremony Lula da Silva Y “Pepe” Mujica; the Secretary of Human Rights of the Nation, Horacio Pietragalla Corti, among other national officials, and references from human rights organizations.

The personalities who received the award in recognition of their fight for human rights were “Taty” Almeida, from Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Founder Line; the Nobel Peace Prize, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; Estela Barnes de Carlotto of Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and the documentary filmmaker Pablo Torello.

The trajectories of former senator and lawyer Hipólito Solari Yrigoyen were also recognized, who could not attend due to health issues and thanked the award through a letter sent by his wife; that of the member of the organization Mothers against Institutional Violence, Dolores Sigampa de Demonty, and of the judge Lucila Larrandat.

The Nobel Peace Prize, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, was the first recipient to speak. “I want to thank you for this distinction no less than Azucena Villaflor, her struggle, her memory. We are here to keep walking and not to lower our arms. And I believe that the presence of each one of you here reaffirms this, “said the benchmark for human rights in Argentina. And he recalled that on a day like today – December 10 – 41 years ago, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. “This reaffirms many things, which democracy and human rights are indivisible values ​​”.

Taty Almeida also had a few minutes to express her emotion and gratitude for the recognition given by Vice President Cristina Kirchner. “Today is a very special day, the international day of human rights and we also have to celebrate that we have 38 years of uninterrupted democracy,” said Almeida.

Likewise, Taty recalled that two years ago Alberto Fernández assumed the presidency together with Cristina Kirchner. “Today is also the second anniversary of the Fernández government. Really this national and popular government that we were finally able to recover and that we have to take care of, support. But in what way? Being all and all united, “said Taty.

The owner of the Grandmothers of Plaza Mayo, Estela de Carlotto, was the last recipient to speak during the event. “It seems that 44 years of struggle takes away the feeling of violent emotion that one has when receiving this beautiful present that symbolizes so much.” “I did not know Azucena because she was not yet a mother or grandmother from Plaza de Mayo. I was still taking care of my four children so that they would not run the risk of what we saw was happening from La Plata society, in a totally university society “, he indicated.

“My daughter Laura said no one wants to die, Mom, but thousands of us are going to die and our death will not be in vain. It has not been in vain, we are here. For her, for the 30 thousand companions, for all the young people of today , for the present and the future of our homeland. We are 91 years old, but we will continue, as long as we have life, “said Estela.

At the closing of the event, President Alberto Fernández congratulated the winners and stressed that the “Argentina is a country that works tirelessly for human rights and proof of them is that we will be leading the UN Human Rights Council from next year.”

In addition, the head of state celebrated the presence of the former president of Uruguay, José “Pepe” Mujica and of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whom he highlighted as victims of “the lack of validity of the Rule of Rights”. “Both were victims of persecution, and Lula was unjustly convicted. Their presence, and I know this is shared by Cristina, show us in these days of extreme positions how important the unity of the popular sectors is, ”the president stressed.