Pérez Esquivel, << PAY rays ay skee BEHL, >> Adolfo (1931-…) an Argentine architect and sculptor, was awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize for peace for promoting the cause of human rights in Latin America. In 1974, he became leader of Servicio Paz y Justicia (Service for Peace and Justice), a Christian-based organization dedicated to nonviolent struggle for human rights. Paz y Justicia provides assistance to many groups, including rural workers and labor unionists.
In 1976, Pérez Esquivel campaigned for a human rights commission to be established by the United Nations. He denounced the terrorism employed by all political parties in Argentina. In 1977, Pérez Esquivel was arrested for documenting breaches of human rights in his country and for asking about the fate of dissidents who simply disappeared. He was held without being charged for 14 months, during which time he was tortured. After his release, the authorities placed restrictions on his freedom.
Pérez Esquivel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He became a professor at the Argentine National School of Fine Arts in 1968.
