Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People The Grandmothers Who Defied a Dictatorship to Find Their Grandchildren with Haley Cohen Gilliland
Apr 15, 2026
Haley Cohen Gilliland, journalist and director of the Yale Journalism Initiative, tells the story behind her book about Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. She recounts their clever tactics, moral courage, and use of pioneering DNA science to recover stolen grandchildren. The conversation touches on risks they faced, the long aftermath of reunions, and how collective action can change history.
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Flower Metaphor Connects Genetics And Identity
- The flower metaphor links genetic inheritance to identity recovery through science.
- Haley explains Juan Helman's line “a flower traveled in my blood” and how genetics helped Abuelas locate stolen grandchildren.
How Babies Were Stolen During The Dictatorship
- The Argentine military disappeared ~30,000 people and stole babies by waiting for mothers to give birth.
- Haley recounts pregnant women being held, babies taken, often placed with military families while mothers were killed.
Grandmothers Used Camouflage To Evade The Military
- Grandmothers used cultural camouflage like knitting needles and chocolate wrappers to evade suspicion.
- Haley describes smuggling notes in empty chocolate wrappers and playing harmless grannies to pass checkpoints.
