In this context, the panel seeks to bring different perspectives on the democratic challenges we are currently facing—not only the worldwide decline in the number of democratic countries but also the deterioration in the quality of democracy. This is evident in the rise of authoritarian tendencies, democratic backsliding, and the erosion of fundamental rights. By reflecting on historical struggles for truth, justice, and memory, the discussion will explore how past experiences can inform present-day efforts to defend and strengthen democracy.
During the panel, we will be joined by Florencia Santucho, a human rights activist who recently reunited with her brother, born in captivity during the Argentine dictatorship, and who will be reflecting about the still existing impacts of the Argentine dictatorship. The event will also feature contributions from representatives of the Madres and Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, as well as the participation of EUI faculty members and researchers.
About the Madres and Abuelas of Plaza de Mayo:
The Madres and Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo are two human rights organizations in Argentina that emerged in response to the country’s last military dictatorship (1976–1983). During this period, the regime carried out a systematic campaign of forced disappearances, targeting political dissidents, activists, and ordinary citizens suspected of opposing the dictatorship. Many of those who were abducted were young people, including pregnant women who were detained in clandestine centers and gave birth in captivity. The Madres and Abuelas, composed primarily of the mothers and grandmothers of the disappeared, began gathering in Buenos Aires' Plaza de Mayo in 1977 to demand truth and justice, defying the regime’s repression.
While the Madres de Plaza de Mayo focused on seeking justice for their disappeared children and holding those responsible accountable, the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo dedicated themselves to locating and restoring the identities of their grandchildren—children who had been born in captivity or abducted along with their parents and then illegally adopted, often by families linked to the military. Through tireless activism, the Abuelas have worked to identify these missing children using legal action, public campaigns, and advances in genetic testing. Their efforts led to the creation of Argentina’s National Genetic Data Bank, which has been instrumental in confirming the identities of over 130 recovered individuals.
Both organizations have become powerful symbols of resistance, memory, and human rights, influencing movements for truth and justice worldwide. Their work has played a key role in Argentina’s democratic transition, contributing to landmark legal cases that have led to the prosecution of former military officials. Beyond Argentina, the Madres and Abuelas have inspired similar struggles for justice in other countries facing histories of state repression and enforced disappearances. Their legacy continues to be a testament to the power of perseverance in the fight for truth, accountability, and human rights.
Florencia Santucho is a film director with extensive experience as a producer, director and cultural manager. She has recently specialised in sustainability in the audiovisual sector as a Green Manager. Human rights play an important role in Florencia's life, not only as a central theme in her films (My Stolen Identity (2024) and Identidad (2025)) and as director of the International Human Rights Film Festival, but also as an activist. Her family was brutally persecuted by the Argentine dictatorship (1976-1983). Her brother was born in a detention centre where his mother was held prisoner during the dictatorship and is still desaparecida to this day.
Ruth Rubio Marín is a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Sevilla, as well as the holder of the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Interculturalism at the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía. She is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Transnational Governance (STG), where she leads the work on Gender, Diversity and Governance. Previously, Professor Rubio Marín held a Chair in Comparative Public Law at the European University Institute. She has taught at several other prestigious academic institutions, including Columbia Law School; Princeton University and NYU, where she is a member the Hauser Global Law School Program. Her research represents an attempt to understand how public law creates categories of inclusion and exclusion around different axes including gender, citizenship, nationality and ethnicity both in peaceful and conflict-ridden contexts. She is widely known for her work on gender and reparations in the context of mass violations of human rights. Her publications are mostly in the area of law and gender, constitutional law, citizenship and democracy, immigration law as well as transitional justice.