2 . UNESCO World Heritage Celebration Event , with Estela Carlotto , President of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and Mayki Gorosito , Director of the ESMA Museum and Site of Memory | ESMA
In this interview , we explore the various memorial processes associated with the former ESMA : its transformation from a military facility where
political dissidents were tortured and murdered into a site of memory ; its role as a key heritage landmark for human rights in Argentina ; the political disputes surrounding the site ; the challenges of its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List ; and the potential threats posed by Argentina ’ s current political situation .
How has the process of converting the former military site into a site of memory unfolded ? What stages can be identified throughout this process ?
MG : The Site-Museum is located in what was the Officers ’ Casino of the Naval Mechanics School , which until 1976 operated as a prestigious educational centre in Buenos Aires , dedicated to the training of non-commissioned officers . The Officers ’ Casino was the core of the repressive activity within the 17-hectare site , although the rest of the buildings , including educational institutions , also supported the illegal operations . The entire structure served as both a school and a Clandestine Centre . With the return of democracy in 1983 , the ESMA became a symbol of the crimes committed by the civic-military dictatorship . Human rights organisations aimed to reclaim and redefine the space , initiating an extensive process to meet this initial challenge . In this context , the ESMA was not only deactivated as a site of
INTERVIEW
41