Miriam Lewin

I was into political militancy, but I also loved the idea of working for a newspaper. I was a good writer, so I signed up for journalism school. The problem was my parents wanted me to have a real career, so I had to enroll in economics at the same time to appease them. We were young, but we felt like we'd lived through a lot. Social change, access to education, better salaries.

It all seemed at our fingertips. I mean, it didn't feel like a fantasy. It felt like we could actually change the world. I wanted to see a country where there was equality. We were young and we felt invincible.

It all seemed at our fingertips. I mean, it didn't feel like a fantasy. It felt like we could actually change the world. I wanted to see a country where there was equality. We were young and we felt invincible.

Abandoning the cause wasn't even an option for us. We thought if we abandoned the militancy and activism, we would be betraying our friends who gave their lives for the movement.

Abandoning the cause wasn't even an option for us. We thought if we abandoned the militancy and activism, we would be betraying our friends who gave their lives for the movement.

During the last months of 1975, everyone already knew that a military coup was about to happen. It was March 24th, 1976. My mom barges into my room with a portable radio broadcasting about soldiers marching. And then she tells me that there was a coup. I remember being in bed and just getting into a fetal position and crying. I was crying because I felt afraid of the changes that were coming.

During the last months of 1975, everyone already knew that a military coup was about to happen. It was March 24th, 1976. My mom barges into my room with a portable radio broadcasting about soldiers marching. And then she tells me that there was a coup. I remember being in bed and just getting into a fetal position and crying. I was crying because I felt afraid of the changes that were coming.

More control, less freedoms. And I remember what it felt like to step out of my house for the first time, just after the coup, watching the tanks rolling down the streets in the middle of the city. We had seen this before, the military that targets activists, sending them to jail, trying them in court, We actually thought, we hoped, the military would help stop the violence.

More control, less freedoms. And I remember what it felt like to step out of my house for the first time, just after the coup, watching the tanks rolling down the streets in the middle of the city. We had seen this before, the military that targets activists, sending them to jail, trying them in court, We actually thought, we hoped, the military would help stop the violence.

I never imagined an underground extrajudicial process. Never imagined they would kidnap me, put a hood on me, torture me.

I never imagined an underground extrajudicial process. Never imagined they would kidnap me, put a hood on me, torture me.

He would say things like the process would require time and effort. They had their own vision for the country, a right-wing neoliberal nation with conservative Christian values.

He would say things like the process would require time and effort. They had their own vision for the country, a right-wing neoliberal nation with conservative Christian values.

That rhetoric about preserving Western Christian values, about creating paranoia, that communism was taking over our country, to me, none of that was surprising. I remember a friend telling me he was leaving the country because he'd heard that the military was planning a bloodbath. That they were going to kill us all. We thought it was an exaggeration.

That rhetoric about preserving Western Christian values, about creating paranoia, that communism was taking over our country, to me, none of that was surprising. I remember a friend telling me he was leaving the country because he'd heard that the military was planning a bloodbath. That they were going to kill us all. We thought it was an exaggeration.

We didn't see Argentina as a banana republic. And we had never witnessed the type of bloodbath my friend was predicting. We thought he was a coward.

We didn't see Argentina as a banana republic. And we had never witnessed the type of bloodbath my friend was predicting. We thought he was a coward.

Rumors about horrific torture started going around.

Rumors about horrific torture started going around.

People having their arms ripped off their bodies, electric shocks, rape. The orders from our group leaders were clear. Do not be captured alive.