ANFASEP

La Asociación Nacional de Familiares de Secuestrados, Detenidos y Desaparecido del Perú.
The National Association of Families of the Kidnapped, Detained and Disappeared of Peru.

It is a non-profit or non-political partnership working on defence, advocacy, education and dissemination of Human Rights in Peru. ANFASEP was founded on September 2nd 1983. It is still functioning permanently, and has achieved national and international recognition.

In 2008 Marion and I visited this very same museum, it is an extraordinary building, dedicated amongst other things, to the eradication of violence and the bringing about of justice. Between the years 2004 to 2005 the Museum of Memory was set up by the ANFASEP and one of the main themes being "That will not be repeated." The museum was built and implemented with the support and cooperation of many international institutions.

Ayacucho, in the 1980’s, was a city where there were many enforced disappearances and major human rights violations. Many lives were lost and 80% of those were males between the years of 20 to 49 years. They were the heads of households, traders and officials, students and peasants.
In many cases the women and their children were excluded, they were the most vulnerable and helpless; they were left to suffer the loss of their men.
They were left to search for their loved ones, to protest and lay claims about the lack of justice. They demonstrated in front of the prosecutor's office, police stations, churches and military bases. They demanded knowledge of the whereabouts of their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons. They shared their grief.

In this hostile context several women, including Angelica Mendoza de Ascarza, travelled to Lima, with the idea of presenting complaints of their missing before the central government. Reaching the capital, with minimal resources, they met with a Senator who assisted their efforts. From this emerged the ANFASEP and this became a key factor in coordination and consolidation of the women’s efforts to achieve their aims.

In January 1984 a Mass and first public march through the Plaza de Armas of Ayacucho delivered a wooden cross, inscribed with the words "DO NOT KILL." This cross symbolizes for the mothers of ANFASEP its Christian identity, the symbol of faith that would accompany the marches and social actions. Since that time many more marches have been organised with express purpose to demand justice and information regarding the disappearance of their relatives. This gave birth to the first ANFASEP symbol of peaceful struggle, the wooden cross.

Their cross that they carried all those troubled years reads, “No Matar” – “Do Not Kill”.


In February 1985 Pope John Paul II visited Ayacucho. During this visit the ANFASEP women marched with their cross and the banner, however, they were restricted by security barriers. Nevertheless, they did manage to deliver a document to the Pope.



Throughout the fight for truth and justice in the ANFASEP women often had to confront a very exclusive and discriminatory society. Despite this their perseverance helped them find many of their relatives and achieve some truth and justice. Nevertheless, many still have not discovered and recovered the remains of their lost ones. In 1986 ANFASEP organised the first march to the city of Lima, demanding respect and denouncing all violations of human rights.

A report was issued on January 22nd 2009 announcing the discovery of more bodies of victims on the grounds of the Los Cabitos military base in Huamanga, the province of Ayacucho. This base was the central headquarters of the provincial political military command during the armed conflict.
The base served as a torture and extermination centre during the 1980-2000 armed conflict and has been substantiated by accounts of political prisoners who managed to survive.
Los Cabitos has now become a Memorial Sanctuary.


These are just a few short insights into the terrible times this area suffered in the 80’s. And the sad reality is that many are still suffering because of these past events. One of the main reasons for the existence of the clinic where we are teaching English!