Witness History The photo which symbolised Argentina’s resistance
Feb 18, 2026
Adriana Lestido, an Argentinian documentary photographer known for stark black-and-white images, recounts taking the 1982 'Madre y Hija' photograph. She describes arriving at the protest and the decisive moments she captured. She talks about tracking down the pictured family years later and how the image grew into a wider symbol of resistance and memory.
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Photograph Captured In Three Moments
- Adriana Lestido stayed focused on a mother and daughter during a 1982 protest and captured three sequential images culminating in the iconic shot.
- The final black-and-white photograph was published on La Voz's front page the next day and became widely used as a symbol.
Image Transcended Its Original Moment
- The image transcended its original context to become a broader symbol of resistance and feminist struggle in Argentina and beyond.
- Adriana notes the photo continues to grow in meaning and is used widely by movements unrelated to the original event.
Family Ties Behind The Protest Image
- The girl in the photo was not the missing person's daughter but his niece; the missing man was Abelino Freitas, a worker leader from Molinos factory.
- Adriana says the disappeared theme was central to her life and work, not an outside subject.