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{{Short description|Public square in Buenos Aires, Argentina}} |
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{{one source|date=January 2014}} |
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{{Infobox urban feature |
{{Infobox urban feature |
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| name = Plaza de Mayo |
| name = Plaza de Mayo |
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|place_type= City square |
| place_type = City square |
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| image_place = View of Plaza de Mayo.jpg |
| image_place = View of Plaza de Mayo.jpg |
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| location = [[Monserrat, Buenos Aires|Monserrat]] |
| location = [[Monserrat, Buenos Aires|Monserrat]] |
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| address2 = [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina |
| address2 = [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina |
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| features= [[May Pyramid]]<br />Surrounded by the [[Buenos Aires Cabildo|Cabildo]], [[Casa Rosada]], the [[Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral|Metropolitan Cathedral]], the [[Buenos Aires City Hall]], the [[Banco de la Nación Argentina|Bank of the Argentine Nation]] headquarters and [[Ministry of Finance (Argentina)|Palacio de Hacienda]]. |
| features= [[May Pyramid]]<br />Surrounded by the [[Buenos Aires Cabildo|Cabildo]], [[Casa Rosada]], the [[Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral|Metropolitan Cathedral]], the [[Buenos Aires City Hall]], the [[Banco de la Nación Argentina|Bank of the Argentine Nation]] headquarters and [[Ministry of Finance (Argentina)|Palacio de Hacienda]]. |
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| open = 1580 (Plaza Mayor)<br />1884 ( |
| open = 1580 (Plaza Mayor)<br />1884 (unification) |
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| map_caption = |
| map_caption = |
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|pushpin_map=Argentina Buenos Aires City |
| pushpin_map=Argentina Buenos Aires City |
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|pushpin_map_caption=Location of Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires |
| pushpin_map_caption=Location of Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires |
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|coordinates = {{coord|34|36|30|S|58|22|19|W|display=inline,title}} |
| coordinates = {{coord|34|36|30|S|58|22|19|W|display=inline,title}} |
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}} |
}} |
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The '''Plaza de Mayo''' ({{IPA-es|ˈplasa ðe ˈmaʝo}}; {{lang-en|May Square}}) is a [[city square]] and main foundational site of [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]. It was formed in 1884 after the demolition of the Recova building, unifying the city's |
The '''Plaza de Mayo''' ({{IPA-es|ˈplasa ðe ˈmaʝo}}; {{lang-en|May Square}}) is a [[city square]] and the main foundational site of [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]. It was formed in 1884 after the demolition of the Recova building, unifying the city's Plaza Mayor and [[Plaza de Armas]], by that time known as ''Plaza de la Victoria'' and ''Plaza 25 de Mayo,'' respectively. The [[city centre]] of Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo has been the scene of the most momentous events in [[Argentine history]], as well as the largest popular demonstrations in the country. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the [[May Revolution]] in 1811, the [[Pirámide de Mayo]] ({{lang-en|May Pyramid}}) was inaugurated in the square's hub, becoming Buenos Aires' first national monument. |
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It is located in the [[financial district]] known as ''[[Buenos Aires CBD|microcentro]]'', within the ''[[Neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires|barrio]]'' ({{lang-en|neighborhood}}) of [[Monserrat, Buenos Aires|Monserrat]]. It is bounded by Bolívar, Hipólito Yrigoyen, Balcarce and [[Avenida Rivadavia]] streets; and from its west side three important avenues are born: [[Avenida Presidente Julio Argentino Roca]], [[Avenida Roque Sáenz Peña]] and [[Avenida de Mayo]]. In the square's surroundings are several significant monuments and points of interest: the [[Buenos Aires Cabildo|Cabildo]], the [[Casa Rosada]] (seat of the [[President of Argentina]]), the [[Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral|Metropolitan Cathedral]], the [[Buenos Aires City Hall]], and the [[Banco de la Nación Argentina|Bank of the Argentine Nation]]'s headquarters. Underneath its lands are the [[Buenos Aires Underground|Underground]] stations of [[Plaza de Mayo (Buenos Aires Underground)|Plaza de Mayo]] ([[Line A (Buenos Aires Underground)|Line A]]), [[Catedral (Buenos Aires Underground)|Catedral]] ([[Line D (Buenos Aires Underground)|Line D]]), and [[Bolívar (Buenos Aires Underground)|Bolívar]] ([[Line E (Buenos Aires Underground)|Line E]]). |
It is located in the [[financial district]] known as ''[[Buenos Aires CBD|microcentro]]'', within the ''[[Neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires|barrio]]'' ({{lang-en|neighborhood}}) of [[Monserrat, Buenos Aires|Monserrat]]. It is bounded by Bolívar, Hipólito Yrigoyen, Balcarce and [[Avenida Rivadavia]] streets; and from its west side three important avenues are born: [[Avenida Presidente Julio Argentino Roca]], [[Avenida Roque Sáenz Peña]] and [[Avenida de Mayo]]. In the square's surroundings are several significant monuments and points of interest: the [[Buenos Aires Cabildo|Cabildo]], the [[Casa Rosada]] (seat of the [[President of Argentina]]), the [[Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral|Metropolitan Cathedral]], the [[Buenos Aires City Hall]], and the [[Banco de la Nación Argentina|Bank of the Argentine Nation]]'s headquarters. Underneath its lands are the [[Buenos Aires Underground|Underground]] stations of [[Plaza de Mayo (Buenos Aires Underground)|Plaza de Mayo]] ([[Line A (Buenos Aires Underground)|Line A]]), [[Catedral (Buenos Aires Underground)|Catedral]] ([[Line D (Buenos Aires Underground)|Line D]]), and [[Bolívar (Buenos Aires Underground)|Bolívar]] ([[Line E (Buenos Aires Underground)|Line E]]). |
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==History== |
== History == |
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The modern plaza took form in 1884 when the colonnade separating the ''Plaza de la Victoria'' and the ''Plaza del Fuerte'' was demolished. Its origins, however, can be traced back to [[Juan de Garay]]'s foundation of Buenos Aires itself, in 1580. |
The modern plaza took form in 1884 when the colonnade separating the ''Plaza de la Victoria'' and the ''Plaza del Fuerte'' was demolished. Its origins, however, can be traced back to [[Juan de Garay]]'s foundation of Buenos Aires itself, in 1580. Newly arrived to the dusty riverbank settlement, [[Jesuit]] clergymen in 1608 secured a title to much of the {{convert|2|ha|acre|abbr=off}} lot, on which Garay's earlier plans for a central plaza had been abandoned. In 1661, the local governor purchased the eastern half for inclusion into the grounds of the city's new fort; this section soon became the ''Plaza de Armas''.<ref name=nacion>{{cite web|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/turismo/viajes/antigua-recova-cuando-la-plaza-de-mayo-eran-dos-nid22032021/|work=[[La Nación]]|title=Antigua Recova. Cuando la Plaza de Mayo eran dos|last=Correia|first=Bruno Ivan|date=22 March 2021|access-date=15 February 2022|language=es}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Following over a century of overuse and neglect, the local colonial government attempted to give a semblance of order to the plaza by having a colonnade built across it from north to south. Completed in 1804, the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] structure became the plaza's market and the lot to the west of the colonnade became the ''Plaza de la Victoria''. The area continued divided between these two plazas until 1883 and with only minor changes in landscaping, chief among them the 1811 addition of the [[May Pyramid]], a monument put up to commemorate the newly independent "Provinces of the Rio de la Plata". That year, however, Mayor [[Torcuato de Alvear]] ordered the space modernized, resulting in the colonnade's demolition and the creation of the modern ''Plaza de Mayo.<ref name="nacion" /> |
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Newly arrived to the dusty riverbank settlement, [[Jesuit]] clergymen in 1608 secured a title to much of the {{convert|2|ha|acre|abbr=off}} lot, on which Garay's earlier plans for a central plaza had been abandoned. In 1661, the local governor purchased the eastern half for inclusion into the grounds of the city's new fort; this section soon became the ''Plaza de Armas'' |
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Following over a century of overuse and neglect, the local colonial government attempted to give a semblance of order to the plaza by having a colonnade built across it from north to south. Completed in 1804, the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] structure became the plaza's market and the lot to the west of the colonnade became the ''Plaza de la Victoria''. |
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| ⚫ |
The area continued divided between these two plazas until 1883 and with only minor changes in landscaping, chief among them the 1811 addition of the [[May Pyramid]], a monument put up to commemorate the newly independent "Provinces of the Rio de la Plata". That year, however, Mayor [[Torcuato de Alvear]] ordered the space modernized, |
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<gallery> |
<gallery> |
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| Line 36: | Line 32: | ||
</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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==Surroundings== |
== Surroundings == |
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| ⚫ | |||
<center> |
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| ⚫ | |||
|+'''Location of buildings surrounding the Plaza de Mayo''' |
|+'''Location of buildings surrounding the Plaza de Mayo''' |
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|colspan="5" align=center |'''Eastern side''' |
|colspan="5" align=center |'''Eastern side''' |
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|colspan="3"| |
|colspan="3"| |
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| align=center |'''Southern side''' |
| align=center |'''Southern side''' |
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|----- |
|----- |
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| align=center |[[File:SIDE Main Building.jpg|thumb|center|90px|[[Secretaría de Inteligencia|Secretariat of Intelligence]]]] |
| align=center |[[File:SIDE Main Building.jpg|thumb|center|90px|[[Secretaría de Inteligencia|Secretariat of Intelligence]]]] |
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| colspan=3 align=center |[[File:Casa Rosada - The Casa Rosada from Yrigoyen Street.jpg|thumb|center|170px|[[Casa Rosada]]]] |
| colspan=3 align=center |[[File:Casa Rosada - The Casa Rosada from Yrigoyen Street.jpg|thumb|center|170px|[[Casa Rosada]]]] |
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|colspan="5" align=center |'''Western side''' |
|colspan="5" align=center |'''Western side''' |
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|} |
|} |
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</center> |
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==Political significance== |
== Political significance == |
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The Plaza de Mayo has |
The Plaza de Mayo has traditionally been the focal point of political life in Buenos Aires. Its current name commemorates the [[May Revolution]] of 1810, which started the process towards the [[Argentine War of Independence|country's independence from Spain]] in 1816. |
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<gallery> |
<gallery> |
||
|
File:El pueblo quiere saber de qué se trata.jpg|''[[¡El pueblo quiere saber de qué se trata!]]'', the [[May Revolution]] of May 25, 1810 |
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|
File:17deoctubre-enlafuente.jpg|Famous [[Peronism|Peronist]] demonstration of October 17, 1945, known as [[Loyalty Day (Argentina)|Loyalty Day]] |
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File:Plaza-Mayo-bombardeo-1955.JPG|The [[Bombing of Plaza de Mayo]], June 16, 1955 |
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File:2ª Marcha de la Resistencia 9 y 10 diciembre 1982.jpg|The second "March of Resistance" of the [[Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo]], December 9, 1982 |
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</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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===1940s |
=== 1940s – 1960s === |
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On October 17, 1945, mass [[Demonstration (people)|demonstrations]] in the Plaza de Mayo organized by the [[Confederación General del Trabajo de la República Argentina|CGT]] [[trade union]] federation forced the release from prison of [[Juan Domingo Perón]], who would later become President of Argentina; during his tenure, the [[Peronism|Peronist]] movement gathered every October 17 in the Plaza de Mayo to show their support for their leader (and October 17 is still "[[Loyalty Day (Argentina)|Loyalty Day]]" for the traditional Peronists). Many other presidents, both democratic and military, have also saluted people in the Plaza from the Casa Rosada's balcony.. |
On October 17, 1945, mass [[Demonstration (people)|demonstrations]] in the Plaza de Mayo organized by the [[Confederación General del Trabajo de la República Argentina|CGT]] [[trade union]] federation forced the release from prison of [[Juan Domingo Perón]], who would later become President of Argentina; during his tenure, the [[Peronism|Peronist]] movement gathered every October 17 in the Plaza de Mayo to show their support for their leader (and October 17 is still "[[Loyalty Day (Argentina)|Loyalty Day]]" for the traditional Peronists). Many other presidents, both democratic and military, have also saluted people in the Plaza from the Casa Rosada's balcony.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telam.com.ar/notas/202110/571968-76-anos-pueblo-colmo-plaza-de-mayo.html|work=[[Télam]]|title=A 76 años del día que el pueblo colmó la Plaza de Mayo y cambió la historia argentina|last=Castillo|first=Leonardo|date=17 October 2021|access-date=15 February 2022|language=es}}</ref> |
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In an attempt to overthrow President Perón, the plaza was [[Bombing of Plaza de Mayo|bombed]] during one of the populist leader's many rallies there on 16 June 1955, killing 364.<ref>[http://www.nocturnar.com/1955-bombardeo-en-plaza-de-mayo/ 1955 bombardeo en plaza de mayo |
In an attempt to overthrow President Perón, the plaza was [[Bombing of Plaza de Mayo|bombed]] during one of the populist leader's many rallies there on 16 June 1955, killing 364.<ref>[http://www.nocturnar.com/1955-bombardeo-en-plaza-de-mayo/ 1955 bombardeo en plaza de mayo – Nocturnar.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806162730/http://www.nocturnar.com/1955-bombardeo-en-plaza-de-mayo/ |date=2016-08-06 }}</ref> |
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===1970s |
=== 1970s – present === |
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Years later, in 1974, Perón, then president for the third time, expelled from the Plaza members of the [[Montoneros]], an armed organization on the far left that had contributed to the aging leader's return from exile the previous year and had since demanded influence within the national government. Perón's final appearance at the plaza, on 12 June, was marked by an acrimonious break with the far left, leading to two years of violence and repression and, ultimately, a [[coup d'état]]. |
Years later, in 1974, Perón, then president for the third time, expelled from the Plaza members of the [[Montoneros]], an armed organization on the [[Far-left politics|far left]] that had contributed to the aging leader's return from exile the previous year and had since demanded influence within the national government. Perón's final appearance at the plaza, on 12 June, was marked by an acrimonious break with the far left, leading to two years of violence and repression and, ultimately, a [[coup d'état]]. |
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Crowds gathered once again on April 2, 1982, and several occasions thereafter to hail ''de facto'' President [[Leopoldo Galtieri]] for Argentina's invasion of the [[Falkland Islands]], which launched the [[Falklands War]] ({{lang-es|Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur}}). |
Crowds gathered once again on April 2, 1982, and several occasions thereafter to hail ''de facto'' President [[Leopoldo Galtieri]] for Argentina's invasion of the [[Falkland Islands]], which launched the [[Falklands War]] ({{lang-es|Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur}}). |
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The plaza, since 1977, is where the [[Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo]] have congregated with signs and pictures of ''[[desaparecidos]]'', their children, who were subject to [[forced disappearance]] by the [[Military of Argentina|Argentine military]] in the [[Dirty War]], during the [[National Reorganization Process]]. People perceived to be supportive of subversive activities (that would include expressing left-wing ideas, or having any link with these people, however tenuous) would be illegally detained, subject to abuse and torture, and finally murdered in secret. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo took advantage of the symbolic importance of the Plaza to open the public's eyes to what the military regime was doing. |
The plaza, since 1977, is where the [[Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo]] have congregated with signs and pictures of ''[[desaparecidos]]'', their children, who were subject to [[forced disappearance]] by the [[Military of Argentina|Argentine military]] in the [[Dirty War]], during the [[National Reorganization Process]]. People perceived to be supportive of subversive activities (that would include expressing left-wing ideas, or having any link with these people, however tenuous) would be illegally detained, subject to abuse and torture, and finally murdered in secret. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo took advantage of the symbolic importance of the Plaza to open the public's eyes to what the military regime was doing.<ref name=turismo>{{cite web|url=https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/otros-establecimientos/plaza-de-mayo|website=buenosaires.gob.ar|title=Plaza de Mayo|date=6 September 2017 |access-date=15 February 2022}}</ref> |
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Protests |
Protests have continued taking place, with the major last one being during the [[December 2001 riots (Argentina)|December 2001 riots]] when [[2001 Massacre of Plaza de Mayo|five protesters were killed and several others injured]] by police as they [[riot]]ed around the Plaza de Mayo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/opinion/los-muertos-que-dejo-el-estallido-social-nid1433346/|work=[[La Nación]]|title=Los muertos que dejó el estallido social|date=18 December 2011|access-date=15 February 2022|last=Ramírez|first=Damián|language=es}}</ref> |
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==Today== |
== Today == |
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{{Panorama |
{{Panorama |
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|image = File:196 - Buenos Aires - Plaza de Mayo - Janvier 2010.jpg |
|image = File:196 - Buenos Aires - Plaza de Mayo - Janvier 2010.jpg |
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Today, Plaza de Mayo continues to be an indispensable [[Tourism in Argentina|tourist attraction]] for those who visit Buenos Aires. |
Today, Plaza de Mayo continues to be an indispensable [[Tourism in Argentina|tourist attraction]] for those who visit Buenos Aires. |
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Several of the city's major landmarks are located around the Plaza: the [[Buenos Aires Cabildo|Cabildo]] (the city council during the colonial era), the [[Casa Rosada]] (home of the [[President of Argentina|executive branch]] of the [[politics of Argentina|federal government]]), the [[Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires]], the [[May Pyramid]], the [[Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano]], the current [[city hall]] or ''municipalidad'', and the headquarters of the Nación Bank. The Buenos Aires financial district (''[[San Nicolas, Buenos Aires|microcentro]]''), affectionately known as ''la City'' (sic) also lies besides the Plaza. |
Several of the city's major landmarks are located around the Plaza: the [[Buenos Aires Cabildo|Cabildo]] (the city council during the colonial era), the [[Casa Rosada]] (home of the [[President of Argentina|executive branch]] of the [[politics of Argentina|federal government]]), the [[Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires]], the [[May Pyramid]], the [[Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano]], the current [[city hall]] or ''municipalidad'', and the headquarters of the Nación Bank. The Buenos Aires financial district (''[[San Nicolas, Buenos Aires|microcentro]]''), affectionately known as ''la City'' (sic) also lies besides the Plaza.<ref name="turismo" /> |
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==Gallery== |
== Gallery == |
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<gallery perrow=5> |
<gallery perrow=5> |
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File:Plaza De Mayo 2009.jpg| |
File:Plaza De Mayo 2009.jpg| |
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File:Plaza de |
File:Plaza de mayo pasa.jpg| |
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File:Plaza de Mayo (8894432897).jpg| |
File:Plaza de Mayo (8894432897).jpg| |
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File:Plaza de Mayo, Nov. 2013.jpg| |
File:Plaza de Mayo, Nov. 2013.jpg| |
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</gallery> |
</gallery> |
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==See also== |
== See also == |
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{{Portal|Argentina}} |
{{Portal|Argentina}} |
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*[[Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo]] |
*[[Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo]] |
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==References== |
== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
== External links == |
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{{ |
{{Commons category|Plaza_de_Mayo,_Buenos Aires|Plaza de Mayo}} |
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207000346/http://www.abuelas.org.ar/english/history.htm Grandmothers of the Plaza] |
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060207000346/http://www.abuelas.org.ar/english/history.htm Grandmothers of the Plaza] |
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080821110231/http://www.inargentinatourism.com.ar/en/capital_federal/index.php Tourism] |
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080821110231/http://www.inargentinatourism.com.ar/en/capital_federal/index.php Tourism] |
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*[http://www.buenosaires. |
*[http://www.buenosaires.gob.ar/ Buenos Aires] |
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*[https |
*[https://www.casarosada.gob.ar/ Casa Rosada] |
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{{Buenos Aires landmarks}} |
{{Buenos Aires landmarks}} |
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Plaza de Mayo
| |
|---|---|
| City square | |
 | |
| Features | May Pyramid Surrounded by the Cabildo, Casa Rosada, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Buenos Aires City Hall, the Bank of the Argentine Nation headquarters and Palacio de Hacienda. |
| Opening date | 1580 (Plaza Mayor) 1884 (unification) |
| Location | Monserrat Buenos Aires, Argentina |
  Plaza de Mayo Location of Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires | |
| Coordinates: 34°36′30″S 58°22′19″W / 34.60833°S 58.37194°W / -34.60833; -58.37194 | |
The Plaza de Mayo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈplasa ðe ˈmaʝo]; English: May Square) is a city square and the main foundational site of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was formed in 1884 after the demolition of the Recova building, unifying the city's Plaza Mayor and Plaza de Armas, by that time known as Plaza de la Victoria and Plaza 25 de Mayo, respectively. The city centre of Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo has been the scene of the most momentous events in Argentine history, as well as the largest popular demonstrations in the country. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the May Revolution in 1811, the Pirámide de Mayo (English: May Pyramid) was inaugurated in the square's hub, becoming Buenos Aires' first national monument.
It is located in the financial district known as microcentro, within the barrio (English: neighborhood) of Monserrat. It is bounded by Bolívar, Hipólito Yrigoyen, Balcarce and Avenida Rivadavia streets; and from its west side three important avenues are born: Avenida Presidente Julio Argentino Roca, Avenida Roque Sáenz Peña and Avenida de Mayo. In the square's surroundings are several significant monuments and points of interest: the Cabildo, the Casa Rosada (seat of the President of Argentina), the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Buenos Aires City Hall, and the Bank of the Argentine Nation's headquarters. Underneath its lands are the Underground stations of Plaza de Mayo (Line A), Catedral (Line D), and Bolívar (Line E).
The modern plaza took form in 1884 when the colonnade separating the Plaza de la Victoria and the Plaza del Fuerte was demolished. Its origins, however, can be traced back to Juan de Garay's foundation of Buenos Aires itself, in 1580. Newly arrived to the dusty riverbank settlement, Jesuit clergymen in 1608 secured a title to much of the 2 hectares (4.9 acres) lot, on which Garay's earlier plans for a central plaza had been abandoned. In 1661, the local governor purchased the eastern half for inclusion into the grounds of the city's new fort; this section soon became the Plaza de Armas.[1]
Following over a century of overuse and neglect, the local colonial government attempted to give a semblance of order to the plaza by having a colonnade built across it from north to south. Completed in 1804, the Romanesque structure became the plaza's market and the lot to the west of the colonnade became the Plaza de la Victoria. The area continued divided between these two plazas until 1883 and with only minor changes in landscaping, chief among them the 1811 addition of the May Pyramid, a monument put up to commemorate the newly independent "Provinces of the Rio de la Plata". That year, however, Mayor Torcuato de Alvear ordered the space modernized, resulting in the colonnade's demolition and the creation of the modern Plaza de Mayo.[1]
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The Plaza de Mayo has traditionally been the focal point of political life in Buenos Aires. Its current name commemorates the May Revolution of 1810, which started the process towards the country's independence from Spain in 1816.
On October 17, 1945, mass demonstrations in the Plaza de Mayo organized by the CGT trade union federation forced the release from prison of Juan Domingo Perón, who would later become President of Argentina; during his tenure, the Peronist movement gathered every October 17 in the Plaza de Mayo to show their support for their leader (and October 17 is still "Loyalty Day" for the traditional Peronists). Many other presidents, both democratic and military, have also saluted people in the Plaza from the Casa Rosada's balcony.[2]
In an attempt to overthrow President Perón, the plaza was bombed during one of the populist leader's many rallies there on 16 June 1955, killing 364.[3]
Years later, in 1974, Perón, then president for the third time, expelled from the Plaza members of the Montoneros, an armed organization on the far left that had contributed to the aging leader's return from exile the previous year and had since demanded influence within the national government. Perón's final appearance at the plaza, on 12 June, was marked by an acrimonious break with the far left, leading to two years of violence and repression and, ultimately, a coup d'état.
Crowds gathered once again on April 2, 1982, and several occasions thereafter to hail de facto President Leopoldo Galtieri for Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands, which launched the Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur).
The plaza, since 1977, is where the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo have congregated with signs and pictures of desaparecidos, their children, who were subject to forced disappearance by the Argentine military in the Dirty War, during the National Reorganization Process. People perceived to be supportive of subversive activities (that would include expressing left-wing ideas, or having any link with these people, however tenuous) would be illegally detained, subject to abuse and torture, and finally murdered in secret. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo took advantage of the symbolic importance of the Plaza to open the public's eyes to what the military regime was doing.[4]
Protests have continued taking place, with the major last one being during the December 2001 riots when five protesters were killed and several others injured by police as they rioted around the Plaza de Mayo.[5]
Today, Plaza de Mayo continues to be an indispensable tourist attraction for those who visit Buenos Aires.
Several of the city's major landmarks are located around the Plaza: the Cabildo (the city council during the colonial era), the Casa Rosada (home of the executive branch of the federal government), the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires, the May Pyramid, the Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano, the current city hallormunicipalidad, and the headquarters of the Nación Bank. The Buenos Aires financial district (microcentro), affectionately known as la City (sic) also lies besides the Plaza.[4]
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