In Argentina, the legacy of the 1976-1983 military dictatorship continues to resonate through the lives of individuals born amid the regime’s campaign of enforced disappearances and state terrorism. One such individual is Victoria Donda, formerly known as Analía Azic, whose story highlights the ongoing quest for justice and truth surrounding the dictatorship’s stolen children.
During the dictatorship, an estimated 500 babies were taken from detained leftist activists and forcibly handed to military families or regime sympathisers. These infants were often raised without knowledge of their biological origins, a consequence of the regime’s systematic effort to erase dissent and punish opposition. The kidnapping and illegal adoption of these children became a central focus for human rights groups such as the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an organization dedicated to locating and restoring the identities of these stolen children.
Victoria’s journey began with an unexpected revelation. Raised by Juan Antonio Azic and Esther Abrego, she was persuaded by the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo to undergo DNA testing after questions arose about her true parentage. The results confirmed with near certainty that she was the biological daughter of María Hilda Pérez, known as Cori, and José María Donda—both members of the leftist Montoneros guerrilla group who were disappeared by the regime. Cori was arrested while five months pregnant and later gave birth while in custody at the infamous ESMA detention center, one of the regime’s primary sites of torture and clandestine killings known for “death flights,” where prisoners were drugged and thrown from planes into nearby waters.
Victoria’s biological uncle, Adolfo Donda, an intelligence officer who played a key role in the junta’s repression, ordered many such “transfers.” Although he was convicted years later for numerous crimes including torture and murder, the specific crime of her abduction remained unpunished for a long time.
Following her identification, Victoria embraced her birth name and became a prominent public figure dedicated to human rights and political activism. Her renewed identity strengthened her commitment to leftist politics, aligning her activism with her biological parents' legacy. In 2007, she was elected to Argentina’s Congress as the youngest member ever and the first stolen child of the dictatorship to achieve such a position. Her political career has been marked by a focus on human rights issues including the legalization of abortion.
Victoria’s personal experiences have shaped her political agenda. After giving birth to her daughter in 2014, she campaigned vigorously for abortion rights in Argentina. Despite numerous obstacles over the years, including legal restrictions rooted in the nation’s 1921 penal code, she has called for the issue to be addressed openly, linking reproductive rights to broader struggles against oppression and state control. Victoria has emphasized the importance of this fight by drawing parallels between her own forced birth under a brutal regime and the continuing need to protect women’s bodily autonomy.
Her story reflects both the enduring impact of Argentina’s dictatorship and the resilience of those who continue to seek truth and justice. With the dismantling of laws that once shielded perpetrators from prosecution, and ongoing efforts by human rights organizations, the memory of the disappeared and their stolen children remains a powerful force in Argentine society and politics.