Clamor: The search for the disappeared of the South American dictatorships(Latin America Bureau Books)

Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile is relatively well known in the UK, but what happened during the Argentine dictatorship, 1976-83, when thousands of men, women, and children were subjected to state terrorism, remains largely unknown. The book describes the secret detention camps, the disappearances, the kidnapping of hundreds of babies and small children. It is based largely on eyewitness accounts gathered by CLAMOR, an ecumenical group of volunteers in São Paulo, Brazil which was backed by the Catholic church and the World Council of Churches. The group was instrumental in finding the first ‘disappeared’ children to be located, and contributed to the search for many others. The book also covers the situation in the other South American countries ruled by military dictators, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia, where CLAMOR supported local human rights organizations and sent missions. The group was one of the first organizations to denounce the collaboration between the security forces of the dictatorships, involving cross-border kidnappings, torture and murder of dissidents, which later became known as Operation Condor. Clamor's work involved careful, daring and at times dangerous work, and this book has the intensity and excitement of a crime or spy thriller. Because CLAMOR closed its doors when the region returned to democracy, its role has gone largely unreported. As a founder member of CLAMOR, with access to all the archives, Jan Rocha, Journalist and former Correspondent for the BBC and the Guardian, is in a unique position to tell its story. She concentrates on eyewitness accounts, including her own, and on the question of the children, not only those kidnapped, but those left behind when their parents disappeared. The book also fills a gap in understanding why the UK government, and Europe as a whole, reacted so differently to the human rights situation in Chile and Argentina.

Table of Contents:
List of acronyms Foreword by Patricia Feeney Introduction Part 1: Five terrible years (1977–1982) 1. The house on Turiassu Street 2. The refugees 3. Coups and operation condor 4. The 1978 World Cup in Argentina 5. The disappeared 6. The secret camps 7. Kidnapped in Porto Alegre: Condor in Brazil 8. Disappeared children found in Chile 9. The grandmothers 10. The UN goes to Argentina 11. The role of the Catholic Church 12. The defectors 13. A bloody coup in Bolivia 14. Paraguay: The iron fist of General Stroessner 15. The nightmare of Remigio Giménez 16. The suffering of Uruguay 17. Chile in the grip of Pinochet 18. The list Part 2: Light at the end of the tunnel (1983–1989) 19. Where are Carla and Maria Eugenia? 20. The search for Mariana 21. The survivors of La Cacha tell their stories 22. The theology of loopholes 23. Argentina: The return to democracy 24. Uruguay: The military leaves power 25. Paraguay: Stroessner is overthrown 26. Chileans say ‘no’ to Pinochet 27. Clamor closes its doors Appendix: List of Clamor bulletins and press releases Index

About the Author :
Jan Rocha is a freelance reporter and writer and has worked for the BBC and The Guardian