The "disappeared" are persons who have been taken into custody by agents of the state, yet their custody is denied and their whereabouts and fate are not revealed.
Not knowing the fate or whereabouts of a loved one who has been forcibly disappeared causes continuous despair for family members. For many, life is suspended by a consuming uncertainty. Not knowing whether to grieve a death or feel hopeful for the return of their loved one only compounds the trauma associated with the disappearance.
For over 20 years, the IFP has been supporting efforts to locate and identify persons, living or deceased, who were victims of involuntary and/or enforced disappearances, or who went missing in the context of an armed conflict. We believe in honoring victims' rights and each individual's right to know the truth.
One of our primary projects is with the organization Pro-Búsqueda, helping to locate and reunite children who were separated from their families during the 1980-1992 civil war in El Salvador.