Politics Guatemala wants to clarify the fate of thousands of missing persons

Guatemala's government is stepping up its efforts to clarify the fate of thousands of missing persons with the help of a new special body. Around 45,000 people, including many children, disappeared during the civil war in the Central American country between 1960 and 1996, said President Bernardo Arévalo. A search is also to be carried out for currently missing migrants and other people.

According to Arévalo, at least 5,000 children disappeared in Guatemala in the internal conflict between left-wing guerrilla organizations and state security forces. Some of them had starved to death or died in fighting. Others were illegally given up for adoption to families in Europe and North America and are now adults.

"More than 40 years later, their relatives are still looking for them," explained the President. The state has a moral debt to pay. The search is intended to help close a painful chapter for many families. The government has also set up a multilingual website for people who were separated from their families during the civil war and are searching for their loved ones.

SDA