The 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide commemorated across South America
Throughout April, Armenian communities across South America commemorated the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a wide array of events in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. From rallies and cultural performances to academic forums and political declarations, the remembrance efforts served not only as tributes to the victims of the 1915 genocide, but also as urgent calls for justice in the wake of the recent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the illegal imprisonment of Armenian political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
Argentina
In Buenos Aires, commemorations began on April 21 with a ceremony hosted by the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of South America at the Armenian Cultural Association. Awards were presented to human rights defenders and politicians who supported the Armenian Cause during the blockade of Artsakh in 2023.
A few days later, on April 24, the annual march organized by community youth institutions to the Turkish ambassador’s residence drew thousands of people.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and its sister organizations—the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), Homenetmen, Armenian Relief Society, Hamazkayin, Khrimian Armenian School and Badanegan Miutiun—carried banners demanding the release of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held illegally in Baku and the right of return for Artsakh Armenians to their native lands following the war, genocidal blockade and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Azerbaijan between 2020 and 2023. One banner was dedicated to Davit Ishkhanyan, ARF member and speaker of the Artsakh National Assembly, currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Large flags and t-shirts echoed the demand for the right of return.
After the rally, a message was delivered from Luis Moreno Ocampo, former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court: “History repeats itself. As in 1915, Armenian leaders were imprisoned in 2023. Today, they are hostages. The international community refused to acknowledge that there was a new genocide against Armenians, and that is why, today, Azerbaijan threatens the very existence of Armenia itself.”
A community statement, read by two youth representatives, denounced that the Turkish state “not only denies what happened, but also vindicates the perpetrators of the genocide,” recalling the “image that went viral this week of a senior Turkish official standing next to an Azerbaijani official with a painting of Enver Pasha.”
“Today, we demand the release of the hostages held in Baku. The farce of the judicial proceedings in Azerbaijan cannot be tolerated. By raising our voices, we share the evidence that the political prisoners cannot present, the arguments they cannot make and the rights they cannot claim. In Baku, there are no judges—only executioners,” the statement continued.
The right of return was also highlighted: “Seeing the Artsakh flag fly again on the summit of Shushi is another part of our task, which begins with demanding the right of return with international security guarantees. The people of Artsakh must return to their homes, to their schools, to the cities and towns where they lived.”
Earlier that day, a church service at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral was followed by an official commemoration at the Armenian Genocide memorial near the church. Blood donation campaigns were held to honor the victims through acts of service. The event, organized by the Armenian Institutions of the Argentine Republic (IARA), was attended by the mayor of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri, who has a close relationship with the local Armenian community.
Macri began his speech by addressing the “people who experienced persecution, exile, genocide and hatred firsthand…passed down from generation to generation.”
“We see here a deep commitment to our roots, to the truth, to ensuring that denialism does not allow aberrant events to be repeated in our history,” he continued.
The Armenian ambassador to Argentina, Hovhannes Virabyan, added: “Today, we are witnessing a new tragedy: the ethnic cleansing carried out in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, forcing more than 100,000 Armenians to abandon their ancestral homes under threats, violence and siege. Today, we not only pay tribute to the victims of the past but also raise our voices against denial, oblivion and impunity.”
The president of IARA, Carlos Manoukian, concluded the speeches: “Turkey remains committed to denial, as if there were any other cause for the short-lived disappearance of the Armenian population from the Ottoman Empire. Today, 110 years after the crime, the Armenian nation, from the motherland to the farthest reaches of the diaspora, repeats its call for justice.”
On April 28, Buenos Aires concluded commemorations with a moving civic event at the historic Teatro Avenida. The evening featured performances by Argentine musicians León Gieco and Lito Vitale, Argentine-Armenian singer Alin Demirdjian, as well as the 110 Voices Choir and the Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 Youth Orchestra, which performed compositions by Aram Khachaturian. The program closed with an emotional rendition of “Solo le pido a Dios,” sung by Gieco alongside all participating artists and the audience.
In his speech, Manoukian said, “Our indigenous population in Nagorno-Karabakh, with over 3,000 years of history, has been expelled and destroyed. It deserves the return of its millennia-old Armenian identity. Our demand extends to the Armenian leaders of Artsakh, imprisoned by Azerbaijan and unjustly held in Baku under conditions of violence and without the minimum guarantees of statehood.”
Armenian schools also organized educational and commemorative activities involving students and families. Further events took place in other cities across the country. In Rosario, the local community held a public event under the theme “Memory and Demand,” and screened the animated documentary Aurora’s Sunrise. Meanwhile, in La Plata, Berisso and Mar del Plata, ceremonies, masses and floral offerings took place at Armenian monuments and churches, featuring music and traditional dance performances.
In Córdoba, the Argentine province with the second-largest Armenian presence after Buenos Aires, a large number of activities were carried out with a strong presence of local politicians. The events included blood donation campaigns, screenings, panel discussions and a community madagh.
On April 22, a formal ceremony was held at the Civic Center, with the presence of Governor Martín Llaryora, who emphasized the province’s historic support for the Armenian cause and the vital role the Armenian community has played in Córdoba’s development. “Córdoba wouldn’t be what it is without the Armenian people. Furthermore, Armenians find in the people of Córdoba a society that has historically supported them in their quest for justice,” he said. The event, organized by the provincial government and the Armenian community of Córdoba, gathered officials from all branches of government, including Mayor Daniel Passerini.
The main public commemoration took place on April 24 in Plaza San Martín, featuring a large turnout from the Armenian community, students from Sahag Mesrob Armenian School and the General Manuel Belgrano Institute, and the traditional honor parade by the Homenetmen Arakatz Scouts. Provincial authorities, representatives from various religious groups, the President of the Armenian Community of Córdoba Lilian Merdinian, and the Honorary Consul of Armenia Juan Carlos Merdinian also participated. A minute of silence, floral offerings and interfaith remarks culminated in a closing prayer by Der Hair Nahabed Garabedian.
Uruguay
Uruguay marked the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a series of high-profile events that reflected the country’s commitment to justice and memory. On April 21, Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi participated in a commemorative ceremony organized by the E. Armonía Church, where he received a special award recognizing Uruguay’s pioneering role in acknowledging the Genocide. In his remarks, Orsi said, “The only possible path today is peace.”
Two days later, the Legislative Palace hosted an academic commemoration organized by the House of Representatives and the Armenian National Committee of Uruguay. Vice President Carolina Cosse, Speaker Sebastián Valdomir, international law expert Irene Massimino and ANC member Gariné Guerguerian delivered powerful messages connecting the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh. Special emphasis was placed on the 60th anniversary of Uruguay’s 1965 recognition of the Genocide—the first official recognition by any nation.
Vice President Cosse highlighted the Armenian community’s deep contributions to Uruguay and emphasized the importance of the event “to call for memory and justice, components of building a better future.” “You can always count on the Uruguayan people for that journey,” she said.
Speaker Valdomir added, “Armenians have enriched our culture, our identity, our history as a country… The self-determination of peoples must prevail over pressure from the largest on the smallest. Uruguay is committed to respect for international law.”
Massimino explained that “Azerbaijan is subjecting Armenian prisoners of war to illegal and illegitimate trials, under trumped-up charges and without any guarantees. I don’t think it’s necessary to explain to you what it means to be an Armenian prisoner in a Baku prison.”
“The Armenians of Artsakh are neither rebels nor separatists; they are the indigenous people of that land, who for decades have fought for their physical survival, their sovereign independence and their autonomous political organization,” Massimino added. “Dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not on an equal footing: victim never equals victimizer, due to the impunity that most of the international community has granted Azerbaijan for years.”
Guerguerian, on behalf of Armenian National Committee, called for action: “Today, we must once again denounce and demand justice for a new genocide against the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), this time by Azerbaijan, but with the ideological, military and diplomatic support of Turkey.” Guerguerian also highlighted Azerbaijan’s violation of Armenia’s international borders. “The appetite of the genocidaires has not been satiated,” she said.
On April 26, the AYF organized a rally in front of the Turkish embassy in Montevideo. Young Armenians raised their voices to denounce both the Genocide of 1915 and the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, accusing Turkey and Azerbaijan of perpetuating modern forms of extermination against the Armenian people. Protesters lit candles spelling out “1915” at the embassy’s facade, carried the flags of Armenia and Artsakh, and left personal messages demanding justice and the release of Armenian prisoners of war.
“The Armenian people are once again victims of genocide, once again on their own land, in Artsakh,” said AYF member Valentina Benglian. “In 2023, Azerbaijan, with the backing of Turkey, carried out a genocidal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only route connecting Artsakh with Armenia, lasting more than nine months. This blockade left more than 120,000 Armenians without access to food, medicine, energy and basic supplies. It was a deliberate tactic of suffocation: a crime against humanity. In September of that same year, Azerbaijan launched a brutal military offensive, forcing the mass displacement of the entire Armenian population of Artsakh. In a matter of days, it carried out a complete ethnic cleansing. 120,000 people were forced to abandon not only their homes, but also their churches, their cemeteries, their memories and their roots. They left centuries of history behind. And, once again, the world chose to look the other way. We say it clearly: what happened in Artsakh is a new genocide against the Armenian people.”
Brazil
In São Paulo, a commemorative event was held on April 24 at the Armenian khachkar on the grounds of the State Legislative Assembly, led by State Deputy Danilo Balas and supported by the Honorary Consulate of Armenia. Members of the Armenian Catholic community participated alongside other representatives of the local diaspora.
On April 26, youth from the ARF and Turyan Varjaran School held a night vigil at St. George Armenian Church. The weekend concluded with an ecumenical procession from the churches to the Armenian Genocide monument, uniting all branches of the local Armenian community.
Meanwhile, in Rio de Janeiro, a university symposium titled “110 Years of the Armenian Genocide: Recognition, Human Rights and International Justice” was held at PUC-Rio, with participating scholars from Brazil, Armenia, France and the Armenian diaspora. The event featured panels on collective memory and identity.
Chile
In Santiago, a commemorative mass was held on April 26 in the Providencia district, followed by a youth meeting and community luncheon with Archbishop Aren Shahenian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Argentina and Chile. The service featured a special performance by soprano Alla Avetisysan. Afterward, the community came together at Haydun, the Armenian house in Santiago, for a lunch that included reflections on the importance of preserving Armenian identity. As a symbolic gesture, attendees received forget-me-not flowers.
Conclusion
Aram Mouratian, director of the Armenian National Committee of South America, emphasized the importance of this year’s commemorations and the extensive mobilization of the community across Argentina in a conversation with the Weekly.
“In Córdoba, Rosario, Mar del Plata, Berisso, La Plata and, of course, Buenos Aires, the Armenian community came together in every city with an active group or institution. It’s crucial that the whole Armenian community incorporates the current demands related to Artsakh and the Armenian prisoners of war,” he stated. “It is essential to take into account these elements when speaking about the Armenian Genocide today. It’s a response to the rhetoric coming from the Armenian government that seeks to downplay or relativize the claims regarding the Armenian Genocide.”
Recalling that Argentina denounced Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade of Artsakh in 2023, Mouratian expressed his hope that the Argentine authorities will “support the right of return for Armenians in Artsakh and take actions in response to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and the fate of the prisoners of war.”
Stephanie Demirdjian, director of the Armenian National Committee of Uruguay, told the Weekly, “This year’s commemoration was anchored by the 60th anniversary of Uruguay’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 1965—a founding milestone in the fight for justice and against impunity in Turkey. The president addressed this point in his message to the ANC of Uruguay, as did the vice president and the speaker of the House of Representatives, who led the commemorative event held at the headquarters of the Uruguayan parliament on April 23—the same place where it all began 60 years ago.”
Demirdjian also referenced Irene Massimino’s remarks during the event, who “highlighted the direct link between the ideology that motivated the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 and the genocide committed by Azerbaijan in 2022-23 against the population of the Republic of Artsakh.” The event spread the call to “unite our voices once again and break the silence surrounding the threats that the genocide perpetrators of yesterday impose on us today.”
Demirdjian concluded by noting that the AYF protest in front of the Turkish embassy “captured the attention of the community and the local press” and “once again, demonstrated the importance of continuing to mobilize around our demands, especially against the representatives of the state that carried out the genocide of our ancestors and that promotes and supports the genocide of our brothers and sisters in Artsakh.”
Matías Raubian
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