Missing woman reunited with family after 20 years

The Missing Persons Search Unit (UBPD) reported on Thursday that a woman who went missing more than 20 years ago was able to find her family, from whom she had separated due to the armed conflict in Colombia while she was 12 years old. , thanks to investigative work.

The entity reported that in April 2020, the woman submitted a request to the humanitarian mechanism to search for her relatives, of those who lost contact in 2001 when they were victims of the dispossession of their land and forced displacement by the armed groups present in the department of Magdalena.

“It took them over 20 years to see each other again. This was possible thanks to the extrajudicial investigation that the Research Unit conducted in 2020, a few days after the declaration of the covid-19 pandemic.. The process involved collecting and cross-checking various sources of information to corroborate the identification of family group members and foster a reunion, ”said UBPD director Luz Marina Monzón.

Likewise, the Tracing Unit indicated that in November last year, in the midst of the health crisis and with some security concerns, it succeeded in locating the applicant’s family, according to initial indications from the survey, through different variables which They confirmed that it was their family nucleus, which had started their research a few hours after their separation.

During the investigation, the humanitarian mechanism, which belongs to the Integral System for Peace, collected, contrasted and analyzed fundamental information relating to the woman’s personal data, such as the place of birth, the circumstances of the disappearance and information about his family nucleus.

At the same time, he examined the data recorded in the Network’s Information System on Missing and Corpses (Sirdec), where he found that the identified family had reported the disappearance of a person in 2001 who matched the name and the applicant’s situation.

“My mother never gave up hope. She knew my sister was alive and that they would help her find her. It is a case of hope that should inspire others not to give up in their search for their loved ones, ”said a brother of the woman.

During the investigation, a biological sample was taken from the missing woman with the intention of comparing it to that of the mother, which showed shared compatibility in independent sessions in which the applicant and her relatives participated. .

For her part, the director of the Research Unit stressed that this case marks a turning point in the history of the country, because it is the first time that a person reported missing in the context of the armed conflict has asked to be reunited. with his family.

“Society, the State and its servants and servants cannot be indifferent to the tragedy of families and victims of disappearance. On the basis of the commitment and solidarity of officials, it will be possible to cross-reference information in the databases to allow these meetings of living people and their family nucleus to be more frequent ”, concluded Monzón Fuentes. .

Finally, the entity underlined that this is the fourth person missing in the middle of the armed conflict who has been found alive by the UBPD.

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