ASOMADCA has posted on social media:
“MAPPING, MEMORY, AND THE SEARCH ACROSS THE TERRITORY
This morning, ASOMADCA—the Association of Mothers and Women Searchers of Cartago, Valle—participated in a territorial reconnaissance activity in the city of Cartago, alongside the Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation and Peace Brigades International (PBI).
The activity focused on traversing, surveying, and documenting potential sites of forensic interest. This work was based on information gathered regarding areas where human remains have been found or where there are significant leads relevant to the search for missing persons.
This exercise in mapping and territorial documentation allows for the organization of available information and the identification of key locations. It contributes to strengthening search efforts, preserving memory, and upholding families’ right to know the truth.
At ASOMADCA, we continue to stand with the mothers who are searching, traversing the territory with dignity, commitment, and hope. Every site documented and every piece of information gathered represents a step forward in the search for our loved ones.
We thank the Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation and Peace Brigades International for their support during this important day.
To search is also to love. Not a single step backward.”
Forcible disappearances in Cartago
In May 2025, Infobae reported: “A recent investigation by Cambio magazine revealed that, between 2019 and 2024, Cartago registered 102 disappearances, of which 66 people remain unlocated, according to data from the National Registry System of Missing Persons (Sirdec). Of these victims, 16 were under the age of 18 and 36 were between the ages of 18 and 28. This phenomenon has led some local leaders to describe the situation as a ‘juvenicide’.”
In December 2024, El Espectador reported: “In Cartago there are more than 25 minors missing. Some of them have been found with signs of torture…”
ASOMADCA
ASOMADCA is the Association of Mothers and Women Searchers (from Cartago, Valle).
This is how they describe themselves: “We are out in the field, searching for our missing children and loved ones. Every step, every effort, and every shovelful of earth is born of love, hope, and an unwavering resolve not to give up. As searching mothers, we traverse difficult terrain, turn over the soil, and follow any lead that might bring us closer to the truth. We search because we love them, because their lives matter, and because we deserve to find them. We are not alone. We are mothers and women united by memory, truth, justice, and hope.”
Canal Telecafé also explains in this social media video series: “In Cartago, Valle del Cauca, mothers of missing persons are engaged in a tireless search to find their children and demand answers.”
Threats against searchers
El Espectador has reported: [ASOMADCA brings] together a total of 20 mothers who are also seeking justice for the murder and disappearance of their children. Many of them have had to flee that municipality due to threats and the ineffectiveness of the Prosecutor’s Office to provide answers. Some mothers fear for the safety of their families, as threats are present all the time, as is the increase in the number of missing persons.”
Accompaniment
Peace Brigades International has been accompanying the “Nydia Erika Bautista” Foundation (FNEB) occasionally since 2007 and in full since 2016. FNEB is a group of women searchers fighting for justice and supporting the families of those who have disappeared.
Additional reading: PBI-Colombia welcomes the United Nations recognition of December 19 as International Women Searchers Day (PBI-Canada, September 10, 2026).
