Description
HIJOS is an Argentine human rights organization founded in 1995 by children of people forcibly disappeared during the military dictatorship.
Its name stands for Hijas e Hijos por la Identidad y la Justicia contra el Olvido y el Silencio, daughters and sons for identity and justice against forgetting and silence. Activists from across Argentina founded the group in Río Ceballos, in Córdoba province. It works to keep alive the memory of the disappeared and to press for justice over crimes committed during the dictatorship.
HIJOS became known for organizing escraches, public actions that expose former dictatorship officials and collaborators who live freely despite their crimes. This approach began in the mid-1990s after members faced violent repression while demonstrating for political prisoners. HIJOS Capital is the group’s chapter in the city of Buenos Aires.
Similar HIJOS groups exist in other countries, including Guatemala, where members raise awareness of relatives’ disappearances through public murals.