Forced Disappearance: Search Mechanisms in El Salvador and Latin America

After decades of political resistance to clarify more than 10,000 pending cases of enforced disappearances, last August 21, a National Search Commission for persons that went missing during the armed conflict in El Salvador (CONABÚSQUEDA) was finally created. This new body, enacted by Presidential Decree No. 33, is the product of months of joint work between government and civil society. 

 

However, the Commission will soon face critical challenges: on the one hand, the appointment of its members and, on the other hand, the upcoming design of a National Search Plan. In the development of these tasks, lessons learned in other countries with similar experiences will be particularly relevant.