My story started 32 years ago, my eldest son went off to do obligatory military service in the Pichincha Battalion in Cali, and they disappeared him, they tortured him, they murdered him and I found him labelled “NN” (nomen nescio, identity unknown), 5 days later in Palmira.

With my second son, Jairo Ivan, it was very hard. He decided to study law, and seek justice honestly. He started working with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, he wanted to investigate his brother’s case, which had already been done, but he wanted to do it all over again. My son was an idealist and thought he would end corruption but corruption was the end of him.

He did an investigation into politicians and State officials and for that, they tried to disappear him, but he escaped. Then they framed him and sent him to prison, and the Prosecutor’s Office told him that he should defend himself as best he could but he shouldn’t say that he worked there, and so he realised what was going on. He was in prison for 9 months until someone from the Prosecutor’s Office told him that if he wanted to get out of there, he had to comply with certain conditions, like not going back to work for the prosecutor, and not talking or writing about what happened; complete amnesia. My son said yes and three days later he got out. He had 26 days of freedom and on the 26th day they took him. At the Prosecutor’s Office they also disappeared the information which showed he had worked there. I hope when peace is signed, that the people who know, will talk.

I only found one of my two sons that they disappeared. I’ve been waiting 19 years.

Marlene García García, Cali