Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo say they will ‘keep on looking for the truth’

During a press conference today at the National Genetic Bank (BNDG) Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo´s head Estela de Carlotto reiterated the institution will keep testing DNA from Ernestina Noble-Herrera´s adopted children. She also reiterated “there was no such a thing as a negative result,” as families keep coming forward and new genetic information is gathered.

Carlotto vowed to “keep looking for the truth,” after DNA testing results found no match with families looking for children abducted during Argentina’s dictatorship. According to her, they “still hope and expect results from the genetic bank testing to be completed to know whether the adopted siblings are dictatorship victim’s kids.”

The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo´s head also said that a campaign was in march to hurt the institution's reputation. "Do not mess with us, not with Grandmothers!” She also reminded Clarín´s Héctor Magnetto offered to reveal Herrera’s kids’ origins in exchange for the plaintiff’s identity.

The Grandmothers group has identified 102 illegally adopted children so far. Up to 30,000 people were kidnapped and killed during the Dirty War in a state-sponsored crackdown on leftist dissent, according to human rights groups.

Many of the babies, kidnapped with their parents or born to captive mothers, were illegally adopted by military families or friends of the military junta. The negative results are a blow to the 10-year battle by human rights activists to analyze DNA samples from Felipe and Marcela Noble Herrera in what has become increasingly politicized case in recent years.

Asked on whether they should apologize to the siblings, Carlotto said that the terrorist state should issue an apology. “They say we should apologize, but the terrorist state that should express regret for disappearing with our family,” Carlotto remarked.