The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo announced Monday they have identified the 140th grandchild stolen during Argentina’s last military dictatorship. The man was born on April 17, 1977, in a clandestine detention center and taken from his parents — political prisoners who later disappeared.
The Grandmothers, a human rights group founded in 1977, have spent nearly five decades searching for hundreds of children who were illegally adopted by families aligned with the regime.
Estela de Carlotto, president of the Grandmothers organization, called the discovery “the triumph of 47 years of struggle” at a news conference held at the former Navy Mechanics School (ESMA), now a memorial museum. The newly identified grandson is the son of Graciela Romero, known as “Peti,” and Raúl Eugenio Metz, both of whom were kidnapped in Cutral Co, Neuquén Province, and brought to the La Escuelita detention center in Bahía Blanca, roughly 400 miles south of Buenos Aires.
Romero, who was five months pregnant when she was detained, gave birth under guard. Her daughter Adriana, who was rescued and raised by her maternal grandparents, Oscar and Elsa, has spent decades searching for her brother. Adriana Metz, now a member of the Grandmothers’ team, described her reaction upon learning of his identification. “I never imagined it would happen this way,” she said, her voice breaking as she stood alongside Carlotto.
The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo were founded in the second year of the dictatorship
The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo were founded in 1977 by women seeking children born to political prisoners who were subsequently “appropriated” by military families. During Argentina’s 1976–1983 dictatorship, human rights groups estimate some 500 babies were taken from their detained mothers and given to regime sympathizers after the mothers “disappeared.”
The newly identified grandson brings to 140 the number of recovered grandchildren, though about 300 remain unaccounted for.
“This confirmation proves once more that our grandchildren are among us,” Carlotto said. “Thanks to decades of perseverance and the solidarity of society, those who still doubt their origins will continue to find answers.” She warned, however, that recent government efforts to curb the independence of the National Genetic Data Bank risk undermining future searches.
Earlier in 2025, the organization recovered the 139th ‘grandchild’
Earlier this year, the Grandmothers welcomed the 139th grandchild, a woman born in 1978, and in late 2024, they reported the 138th, a child born in ESMA. Carlotto and other activists say their work remains critical amid shifting political winds, as President Javier Milei’s administration has rolled back certain memory, truth, and justice policies.
For Adriana Metz, the reunion carries deeply personal meaning. “My grandparents raised me and instilled in me the conviction that no one is alone in this quest,” she said. “Now I have my brother back, and we can rebuild our family story together.”