The Pro Búsqueda Association of Missing Children has pointed out the lack of will from the Salvadoran state in seeking truth and justice for the victims of forced disappearances during the armed conflict, during the celebration of its 30th anniversary.
The denunciation was made in the context of the celebration of the 30 years since the founding of this organization, which currently consists of more than 900 families of forcibly disappeared children.
Helí Hernández, from the Legal Unit of Pro Búsqueda, explained that despite family members, with the support of Pro Búsqueda, presenting 15 complaints to the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) related to 43 cases of missing children, only three have been judicialized.
The judicialized cases correspond to three victims of the El Mozote massacre and surrounding hamlets perpetrated by the Armed Forces in December 1981.
On the other hand, Hernández stated that the state has not complied with the rulings of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Corte IDH), which have ordered access to files located in military premises.
Nationally, the Sala de lo Constitucional and the Instituto de Acceso a Información Pública (IAIP) have also ordered access to files created by investigators, prosecutors, and national search commissions, which are located in military facilities, but these orders have not been fulfilled.
“The Sala de lo Constitucional has ordered the President of the Republic, as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, to allow broad access to files from investigators, prosecutors, and national search commissions, but this has not been complied with, by both the current government and previous ones,” Hernández stated.
The representative of Pro Búsqueda believes that the refusal of various governments demonstrates “a protective attitude to shield the alleged responsible parties.”
“If this information is being hidden, what it means is that there are data that could serve to hold accountable those being protected by the Executive Branch and the State,” declared Hernández.
Ana Julia Escalante, executive director of Pro Búsqueda, stated that since its founding, the Association has documented 1,046 reports of missing children, of which they have managed to resolve 469.
“This month Pro Búsqueda celebrates 30 years, which allows us to reflect on the journey and the tenacity and courage of the families who have remained steadfast in demanding truth, justice, and reparation,” she said.
Pro Búsqueda has also addressed more than 425 requests from individuals who were adopted outside of El Salvador in their childhood, asking the organization to investigate the type of adoption they were part of and to search for their biological families.
An Endless Mourning
Margarita Zamora is one of the relatives and a member of the investigative unit of Pro Búsqueda who still hopes to find her four younger siblings alive, who disappeared during the military operation known as “La Guinda de Mayo,” carried out in Chalatenango in 1982.
She remembers that the last time she saw her mother was in April 1982, along with her siblings José Mauricio, 8 years old, German Rutilio, 5 years old, José Orlando, 3 years old, and Karla Catalina, 9 months old.
Over time, Margarita is sure that her mother was killed, although she never found her body, but she hopes that some of her siblings were rescued alive.
Pro Búsqueda has documented 55 cases of missing children during that operation, of which they have resolved 31, while 24 remain pending, including Margarita’s four siblings.
“April, May, and June are very difficult months for me; I feel depressed, an emotion I cannot control, because suddenly I feel down, sad, with a sense of wanting to cry,” she says.
EDH: https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/nacional/desaparecidos-ninez-guerra-civil/1165100/2024/
Pro Búsqueda Highlights State’s Lack of Will in Cases of Missing Children from Armed Conflict
The Pro Búsqueda Association of Missing Children has pointed out the lack of will from the Salvadoran state in seeking truth and justice for the victims of forced disappearances during the armed conflict, during the celebration of its 30th anniversary.
The denunciation was made in the context of the celebration of the 30 years since the founding of this organization, which currently consists of more than 900 families of forcibly disappeared children.
Helí Hernández, from the Legal Unit of Pro Búsqueda, explained that despite family members, with the support of Pro Búsqueda, presenting 15 complaints to the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) related to 43 cases of missing children, only three have been judicialized.
The judicialized cases correspond to three victims of the El Mozote massacre and surrounding hamlets perpetrated by the Armed Forces in December 1981.
On the other hand, Hernández stated that the state has not complied with the rulings of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Corte IDH), which have ordered access to files located in military premises.
Nationally, the Sala de lo Constitucional and the Instituto de Acceso a Información Pública (IAIP) have also ordered access to files created by investigators, prosecutors, and national search commissions, which are located in military facilities, but these orders have not been fulfilled.
“The Sala de lo Constitucional has ordered the President of the Republic, as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, to allow broad access to files from investigators, prosecutors, and national search commissions, but this has not been complied with, by both the current government and previous ones,” Hernández stated.
The representative of Pro Búsqueda believes that the refusal of various governments demonstrates “a protective attitude to shield the alleged responsible parties.”
“If this information is being hidden, what it means is that there are data that could serve to hold accountable those being protected by the Executive Branch and the State,” declared Hernández.
Ana Julia Escalante, executive director of Pro Búsqueda, stated that since its founding, the Association has documented 1,046 reports of missing children, of which they have managed to resolve 469.
“This month Pro Búsqueda celebrates 30 years, which allows us to reflect on the journey and the tenacity and courage of the families who have remained steadfast in demanding truth, justice, and reparation,” she said.
Pro Búsqueda has also addressed more than 425 requests from individuals who were adopted outside of El Salvador in their childhood, asking the organization to investigate the type of adoption they were part of and to search for their biological families.
An Endless Mourning
Margarita Zamora is one of the relatives and a member of the investigative unit of Pro Búsqueda who still hopes to find her four younger siblings alive, who disappeared during the military operation known as “La Guinda de Mayo,” carried out in Chalatenango in 1982.
She remembers that the last time she saw her mother was in April 1982, along with her siblings José Mauricio, 8 years old, German Rutilio, 5 years old, José Orlando, 3 years old, and Karla Catalina, 9 months old.
Over time, Margarita is sure that her mother was killed, although she never found her body, but she hopes that some of her siblings were rescued alive.
Pro Búsqueda has documented 55 cases of missing children during that operation, of which they have resolved 31, while 24 remain pending, including Margarita’s four siblings.
“April, May, and June are very difficult months for me; I feel depressed, an emotion I cannot control, because suddenly I feel down, sad, with a sense of wanting to cry,” she says.
EDH: https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/nacional/desaparecidos-ninez-guerra-civil/1165100/2024/
Pro Búsqueda señala falta de voluntad del Estado en casos de niñez desaparecida en el conflicto armado
En sus 30 años, Pro Búsqueda ha documentado 1,046 casos de niñas y niños desaparecidos durante el conflicto armado.
La Asociación Pro Búsqueda de Niñas y Niños Desaparecidos señaló la falta de voluntad del Estado salvadoreño en la búsqueda de la verdad y justicia para las víctimas de desaparición forzada del conflicto armado, durante la celebración de sus 30 años de fundación.
La denuncia fue realizada en el marco de la celebración de los 30 años de fundación de esa organización integrada, en la actualidad, de más de 900 familias de la niñez desaparecida forzosamente.
Helí Hernández, de la Unidad Jurídica de Pro Búsqueda, explicó que pese a que los familiares, con el apoyo de Pro Búsqueda, han presentado 15 denuncias en la Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) correspondientes a 43 casos de desaparición de niñas y niños, solamente tres han sido judicializados.
Los casos judicializados corresponden a tres víctimas de la masacre de El Mozote y caseríos aledaños, cometida por la Fuerza Armada en diciembre de 1981.
Por otra parte, Hernández manifestó que el Estado no ha cumplido las sentencias de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (Corte IDH) en las que han ordenado que se permita el acceso a los archivos que se encuentran en sedes militares.
A nivel nacional, la Sala de lo Constitucional y el Instituto de Acceso a Información Pública (IAIP) también han ordenado el acceso a los archivos realizados por investigadores, fiscales y las comisiones nacionales de búsqueda, que se encuentran en las instalaciones militares, pero no se han cumplido.
“La Sala de lo Constitucional ha ordenado al presidente de la República, como comandante general de la Fuerza Armada, que permita un acceso amplio a los archivos de investigadores, de fiscales y las comisiones nacionales de búsqueda, pero no ha sido cumplida, tanto por el gobierno actual, como los anteriores”, dijo Hernández.
El representante de Pro Búsqueda considera que la negativa de los diferentes gobiernos, demuestra “una actitud de protección para proteger a los presuntos responsables.
“Si se oculta esta información, lo que quiere decir, es que ahí hay datos que pueden servir para responsabilizar a las personas que se están protegiendo desde el poder Ejecutivo y desde el Estado”, declaró Hernández.
Ana Julia Escalante, directora ejecutiva de Pro Búsqueda, manifestó que desde su fundación la Asociación ha documentado 1,046 denuncias de niñez desaparecida de las cuales han logrado resolver 469.
“Este mes Pro Búsqueda cumple 30 años, que nos permite hacer una evolución del recorrido y la tenacidad y valentía de las familias que se han mantenido en pie de lucha exigiendo la verdad, la justicia y la reparación”, dijo.
Pro Búsqueda también ha atendido más de 425 solicitudes de personas que en su niñez fueron adoptadas fuera de El Salvador y que han pedido a esa organización investigar el tipo de adopción del que fueron parte y buscar a su familia biológica.
Un duelo interminable
Margarita Zamora es una de las familiares e integrante de la unidad de investigación de Pro Búsqueda que aún tiene la esperanza de encontrar con vida a sus cuatro hermanos pequeños, desaparecidos durante el operativo militar conocido como “La Guinda de Mayo”, realizado en Chalatenango en 1982.
Ella recuerda que la última vez que vio a su madre fue en abril de 1982, junto a sus hermanos José Mauricio, 8 años, German Rutilio, 5 años, José Orlando, 3 años y Karla Catalina, 9 meses de edad.
Con el paso del tiempo, Margarita está segura de que su madre fue asesinada, aunque nunca encontró su cadáver, pero tiene la esperanza que algunos de sus hermanos fueron rescatados con vida.
Pro Búsqueda ha documentado 55 casos de niñas y niños desaparecidos en ese operativo, de los cuales han resuelto 31, mientras que 24 aún siguen pendientes, entre esos, los cuatro hermanos de Margarita.
“Abril, mayo y junio son meses para mí muy difíciles, me da depresión, una sensación que yo no puedo controlar, porque de repente me siento decaída, triste, con la sensación de llorar”, dice.
EDH: https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/nacional/desaparecidos-ninez-guerra-civil/1165100/2024/