Argentinian activist who spent 50 years looking for 'disappeared' son dies

Lidia 'Taty' Almeida, the long‑time president of Argentina’s Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, has died at 95, prompting an outpouring of public grief. Almeida led the group of women who have marched around the plaza outside the presidential palace every Thursday since 1977, demanding the return of children disappeared during the 1976‑1983 dictatorship. Born Lidia Stella Mercedes Miy Uranga on June 28, 1930, in Buenos Aires, she had three children with her husband Jorge Almeida and worked as a teacher before dedicating her life to seeking her son. Her son Alejandro was kidnapped in June 1975 by anti‑communist paramilitaries, nine months before the coup. Although Alejandro was never found, Almeida’s decades‑long search made her a moral authority and a symbol of Argentina’s ongoing struggle for truth and justice. Her family said she died in a Buenos Aires hospital surrounded by loved ones after a period of illness. The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line paid tribute, noting she had continued her work until recently. Prominent figures, including former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, honored her as an indefatigable fighter who embodied resilience and the belief that love can resist oppression.