Children's Disappearance Highlighted in Human Rights Court

The disappearance of four girls and two children by the Salvadoran armed forces between 1981 and 1983 was brought to the public forum May 17 during a meeting of the Pan American Court of Human Rights in Panama City, Panama. For the first time in a meeting of this kind, the Salvadoran government accepted responsibility for the disappearances during the Salvadoran civil war, and it also shouldered the responsibility for violations of the law. The victims were represented by Pro-Busqueda, the Salvadoran agency dedicated to finding missing family members disappeared during the 12-year civil war in El Salvador, and by the Center of Justice and International Law (CEJIL). This report was submitted by Pro-Busqueda. The case before the court is the result of three reviews in which the disappearance of members of the Ramirez family, some of whom were illegally adopted by members of the military and whose identities were changed, and some who disappeared altogether, according to reports. Representatives of the families stated that their main desire was to know the location of their beloved family members, but military authorities have refused to give data about the location of those who disappeared, according to Diario Co Latino, a weekly Salvadoran newspaper. Because of the military's reluctance to provide any information, Pro-Busqueda members requested the creation of mechanisms to guarantee that the children's whereabouts become known to the court system. Ester Alvarenda, a spokesperson from Pro-Busqueda, noted that the court's demands on disclosure so that the many hundreds of victims' families can benefit as well.