Enriqueta Maroni, Iconic Mother of Plaza de Mayo, Dies at 98
Buenos Aires, August 5, 2025 – Enriqueta Rodríguez de Maroni, a prominent figure in Argentina’s human rights movement and former president of Madres de Plaza de Mayo-Línea Fundadora, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 98. Maroni, whose two children were among the estimated 30,000 “desaparecidos” during Argentina’s military dictatorship (1976-1983), became a symbol of resistance after publicly accusing the Argentine army of their abduction in a 1978 Dutch television documentary during the World Cup.
Maroni’s children, María Beatriz Maroni, 23, and Juan Patricio Maroni, 21, were kidnapped on April 5, 1977, by task forces of the First Army Corps. María Beatriz, a social work graduate working in healthcare in marginalized communities, was pregnant at the time of her abduction, and her child, expected to be born in late 1977, remains unaccounted for. Juan Patricio, a sociology student and employee at Aerolíneas Argentinas, was also a Montoneros militant and involved in literacy programs. Both siblings, along with María Beatriz’s partner, Carlos Alberto Rincón, are still listed among the disappeared.
In June 1978, Maroni’s courageous testimony aired in the Dutch documentary Mundial 78: Verdad o Mentira, filmed during the World Cup hosted by Argentina. Defying the military junta’s repression, she stood in Plaza de Mayo and declared, “They came to our homes, they searched them, they stole what they wanted, they destroyed the houses—because they destroyed them—and they stole everything we had. And more, they stole our children. We never heard from them again. And the army did this. The army!” Her words, delivered alongside other Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, exposed the junta’s atrocities to an international audience, challenging the regime’s propaganda during the global event.
Maroni, a dedicated teacher who continued working in Buenos Aires’ Cildañez neighborhood despite her personal tragedy, was a founding member of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, formed in 1977 to demand justice for the disappeared. She served as president of the Línea Fundadora branch from 2022 to 2024 and was a key advocate for the group’s popular music program. Her activism, marked by weekly marches in Plaza de Mayo and a relentless pursuit of truth, inspired generations. The human rights organization H.I.J.O.S. Capital mourned her loss, stating, “Her voice, her struggle, her perseverance became part of us.”
The 1978 World Cup, used by the junta to distract from its human rights violations, became a platform for the Mothers’ protests, drawing global attention. Maroni’s testimony, captured by Dutch journalist Frits Jelle Barend, was a pivotal moment, as the junta had scheduled the tournament’s opening to clash with the Mothers’ Thursday marches. Her fearless accusations underscored the systematic nature of the disappearances, with victims often tortured, killed, or thrown from “death flights” into the sea.
Social media reactions on X reflect deep admiration for Maroni’s legacy. One user wrote, “Enriqueta Maroni’s courage in 1978 showed the world the truth about Argentina’s dictatorship. Her fight lives on.” Another posted, “She never stopped searching for her children and grandchild. Rest in power, Enriqueta.” However, some posts expressed concern about Argentina’s current political climate, noting President Javier Milei’s cuts to human rights programs, including the closure of units investigating the disappeared, which could hinder ongoing efforts to identify victims like Maroni’s family.
Maroni’s death marks the loss of a towering figure in the fight for memory, truth, and justice. The Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS) noted, “Her strength came from unity with the Mothers, sustaining her through unimaginable pain.” As Argentina continues to grapple with the legacy of the Dirty War, Maroni’s voice remains a call to action for accountability and remembrance.
Sources: La Stampa, Clarín, La Nación, Infobae, Perfil, elDiarioAR, Corta, HISTORY, Wikipedia, The Guardian