Peru's disappeared: Dozens look for relatives lost to violence. A woman who knows their sorrow helps
Peru's disappeared: Dozens look for relatives lost to violence. A woman who knows their sorrow helps
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The easiest thing might have been to let go. To refresh the flowers at her husband’s grave and find comfort in retrieving his bones, a milestone in a country where 20,000 people disappeared between 1980 and 2000. Lidia Flores chose a different path, though: to search for others who also went missing during Peru's most violent period.
“I can’t stay calm when others, like I did, are crying,” Flores said from her home in Ayacucho, a Peruvian city whose name translates as “nook of the dead” from the Quechua language. “They are searching and I must be there for them.”. Thousands more have disappeared thought Latin America under dictatorships, during armed conflicts or due to organized crime. Their wives, mothers and daughters have historically fought for justice, but Flores’ case is distinctive because even after finding her husband’s remains 40 years ago, her loss led her to commit to a greater cause.
For several years, she has presided over the National Association of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared Persons of Peru. Known for its Spanish initials, Anfasep, it was founded in 1983 and has about 140 members who advocate for truth and reparations.
“Sometimes I feel at ease, but then I wonder, why did this happen?” said Flores, who Peruvians rarely address by name. Most call her “mami” or “madrecita,” an affectionate Spanish word derived from “mother,” as if she cared for them all.
