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Off the record: U.S. Responsibility for Enforced Disappearances in the “War on Terror” view details >>

Situation in The Americas

Latin America has been the first continent to be confronted with systematic waves of disappearances in the 1970s and 1980s. The victims and families have been pioneers in the struggle against disappearances. All countries affected have seen organisations of families emerge, and FEDEFAM , the federation of those organisations was created in 1981. According to FEDEFAM there have been 90.000 disappearances in Latin American countries. While in most Latin American countries democracy has replaced dictatorships and the search for truth, justice and reconciliation is slowly but visibly progressing, there are still disappearances occurring. The internal conflict in Colombia continues to cause disappearances and there are reports of cases of disappearances in countries like Mexico and Guatemala.

Countries and Data

Countries with a history on disappearances (from UNWGEID)

Argentina , Bolivia , Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Most notorious countries:

  • Argentina: Most disappearances occurred during the years 1975 to 1978 under the military Government in the contest of its campaign against left wing guerrillas and their alleged sympathizers. A positive initiative of the Argentinean Government in an effort to clarify these disappearances is the creation of a comprehensive database to establish the date or whereabouts of disappeared persons. Also the commencement of trials against perpetrators is of great relevance. However reports have been sent to the UNWGEID of witnesses testifying in trials being threatened, intimidated and in one case disappeared.
  • El Salvador: Majority of the disappearances occurred between 1980 and 1983 during the armed conflict between the Government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front. Many people disappeared following arrest by uniformed soldiers or police or were abducted in death-squad style operation carried out by armed men wearing civilian clothing and reportedly linked to the Army or to the security forced. Abduction of this kind in some cases subsequently became formal detentions, thus giving rise to allegation of links with the security forces.
  • Guatemala: Majority of the cases occurred between 1979 and 1986, mainly under the military regime and in the context of the Government’s fight and against the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG). An estimate number of 30,000 people disappeared. Impunity is still rampant in Guatemala. In spite some efforts of the government to realise reparation for the victims a consented effort for truth, justice and reconciliation has yet to be developed. The perpetrators of the massive human rights violations have, except a handful of minor officials, not been brought to justice and even often still hold influential political positions

Organisations

Organisations of family members of disappeared have emerged in all countries where disappearances happened: