The Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project has posted on social media:
“Following the earthquake on August 10, 2026, and the subsequent series of aftershocks, we accompanied the Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation (@fundacionnydiaerikabautista) and the Madres por la Vida (Mothers for Life) Association of Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca) on a field visit to assess the situation and show our presence. The goal was to identify the needs of the women searching for their missing loved ones—known as women searchers —and their families, particularly regarding home repairs. In this context, the FNEB also distributed humanitarian aid to several women searchers from Mothers for Life who had been affected by the earthquake.
Mothers for Life, which brings together around 100 women searchers, is an initiative born from a desire to reclaim and preserve ancestral practices that were at risk of being lost: the tradition of mourning, mutual support among the women, and the offering of a welcoming and listening ear. The association is part of the “Legacy Yanette Bautista” National Network of Women Searchers, an organizational initiative composed exclusively of women searching for missing persons, coordinated and supported by the FNEB.
At PBI, we reaffirm our commitment to and solidarity with the women searchers of Buenaventura, who continue to defend their rights and fight against impunity while persisting in the search for their loved ones. The earthquake of August 10, 2026, has exacerbated the hardships they face in a context already marked by state neglect and the dynamics of the armed conflict.”
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.
