Roberto Jáuregui, the first visible HIV+ activist in Argentina
Roberto Jáuregui was an activist, journalist, actor, and the first person living with HIV to publicly disclose his status in Argentina. Learn about him in this comic.
Share
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. Roberto Jáuregui was an activist, journalist, actor , and the first person living with HIV to publicly disclose his status in Argentina. He was born on August 12, 1960, in the city of La Plata (Buenos Aires Province). For this reason, this date is commemorated as the Day of Visibility for the Rights of People Living with HIV.
Swipe to see the full gallery >>>
In the late 1980s, the price of medication made it virtually impossible to access. Roberto visited the studios of various television programs to express this urgent need. It wasn't until 1990 that the first AIDS law was passed, guaranteeing these rights in the country.
In 1988, renowned musicians of the time died - among them Federico Moura and Miguel Abuelo - in a context of stigma and ignorance about how to deal with the virus.
Living with HIV+ and being visible in the media
The following year, Roberto Jáuregui made his serological status public. 1989 was also the year the Huésped Foundation . There, he joined forces with Dr. Pedro Cahn, working tirelessly as general coordinator.
In 1993, prejudice coexisted with a lack of information about HIV and AIDS. A hug wasn't a minor gesture; it was a political statement. That's why it was so significant when, during prime time on the television program Hora Clave, journalist Mariano Grondona and Roberto embraced. Those were times when people were trying to explain that neither a hug nor a kiss transmitted the virus.
For years, Roberto played a central role in marches, actions, talks, and interviews demanding human rights for people living with HIV. He even acted in the telenovela Celeste —starring Andrea del Boca—playing himself during an interview with Silvina Chediek about HIV and AIDS.
“Loneliness, fear, and discrimination are ever-present. Many times, people die in their social lives before they die clinically ,” she explained . In the many interviews she gave, she said she wasn't afraid of death; she saw it as a respite. What worried her was leaving her partner (it wasn't until 2010 that the Equal Marriage Law , making the rights of same-sex couples legally recognized).
HIV+ Rights Visibility Day
Together with his brother Carlos Jáuregui, he was one of the leading figures in the HIV and LGBT+ rights movements in Argentina. 'Robi', as he was affectionately known, passed away on January 13, 1994. The Huésped Foundation created the Roberto Jáuregui Day Hospital at the Dr. Juan A. Fernández General Hospital in Buenos Aires as a way to remember him and continue his fight.
In 2020, several organizations presented a bill to the Argentine National Congress seeking to declare August 12th as the Day of Visibility for the Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS in their honor . Although the bill did not pass, the date was established.
We are Present
We are committed to a type of journalism that delves deeply into the realm of the world and offers in-depth research, combined with new technologies and narrative formats. We want the protagonists, their stories, and their struggles to be present.
SUPPORT US
FOLLOW US
Related Notes
We Are Present
This and other stories don't usually make the media's attention. Together, we can make them known.