Social Movement Madres de Soacha (Mothers of Soacha)

Abstract

This article analyzes the history of the Madres de Soacha, a social movement of mothers that searched for the truth about the extra-judicial killings of their sons in 2008. After a judicial battle, these mothers proved that the Colombian Army perpetuated these massacres under the state policy of Democratic Security. This research argues for a robust notion of collective identity and memory building of this female movement, which is not reduced to a mere concept of victims. It displays different national and international actions that the Madres de Soacha developed for building memory and collective identity through narratives and agency.