The “crazy mothers”, as they were called in Sweden, began their protest in 1977 when they gathered in the square outside the presidential palace in Buenos Aires to demand the return of children who had been kidnapped and disappeared during the then-ruling military junta’s so-called “dirty war”.
As more and more children disappeared, the movement grew, and when the world’s media gathered in Argentina to cover the controversial 1978 World Cup, their impact increased. The mothers’ protest continued even after the junta lost power in 1983, demanding justice for those involved.
1980 Peace Laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel was an outspoken supporter, and in 1992 the movement was awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize, which is awarded to individuals or organizations fighting for human rights.