Restoration of the identity of grandson 140
"We found grandchild number 140!" announced the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo from Argentina on the morning of Monday, July 7.
Until last Friday, the man—now 48 years old—was unaware of his true identity. “Today we welcome the son of Graciela Alicia Romero y Raúl Eugenio MetzThe 140th grandchild was born on April 17, 1977, in the clandestine detention center 'La Escuelita' in Bahía Blanca, as was learned through Graciela's fellow prisoners. His sister, Adriana, had always searched for him along with her grandparents,” he noted. Stele of Carlotto, president of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo.
According to their account, the Metz family consisted of ten siblings and came from a politically active background due to the grandfather's communist activism. The events occurred after the kidnapping and disappearance of Graciela, who was 24 years old at the time of her abduction and childbirth.
The identification was made possible thanks to an investigation involving CONADI and the National Genetic Data Bank. A DNA sample allowed his identity to be verified and confirmed that this man, raised as an only child and unaware of his origins, was actually part of a large family that had always awaited him.
Regarding the importance of these findings, Carlotto stated: “With the recovery of the 140th grandchild, we confirm that our grandsons and granddaughters are among us. And thanks to this work, more will continue to be found. The search cannot be done alone.”
She added: “This is a balm to keep going despite the circumstances. There is someone helping us from above, our beloved mothers who are no longer with us. Our grandchildren are by our side, giving us the strength to keep going at this age. I am still lucid, and that is happiness.”
Amid the context of attacks and defunding of human rights policies, they reaffirmed: "Identity always flourishes."
Recently, the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo denounced that the government of Javier Milei stripped the National Genetic Data Bank (BNDG) of its autonomy and independence and intervened through a decree. The human rights organization filed an injunction with the courts to protect the genetic samples stored there. Back in 2024, the government had already dismantled the National Commission for the Right to Identity (CONADI) and eliminated the special investigation unit that had been operating since 2004 and provided access to state archives to locate babies stolen during the dictatorship from 1976 to 1983.
The previous granddaughter who was restored to her family, the 139The announcement was made in January of this year. She was the daughter of Noemí Beatriz Macedo and Daniel Alfredo Inama, both of whom were kidnapped in November 1977.
The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo have never ceased their campaign to search for children born in captivity or kidnapped along with their parents, and they renewed their call to society to join the collective searches. According to Carlotto, “The missing grandchildren are among us. They are close. They need support to find the courage to learn about their true origins. Any suspicion, however small it may seem, is a reason to contact the Grandmothers.”
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