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My daughter, Carolina Garz\u00f3n, disappeared in Quito, Ecuador, on 28 April 2012, while she was on holiday with classmates from the District University of Bogot\u00e1, where she was studying. Aged 22, she was a student activist and a member of the Socialist Workers’ Party (PST).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The presidents of Ecuador and Colombia at that time were Rafael Correa and Juan Manuel Santos, respectively. We met with officials in both countries: President Correa in his office in Quito, and President Santos through his foreign minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Correa administration approved a reward of $20,000 for information leading to the discovery of my daughter’s whereabouts, and the prosecutors’ offices of both countries coordinated their efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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However, after the change in presidents \u2014 Len\u00edn Moreno in Ecuador and Iv\u00e1n Duque in Colombia \u2014 there was no interest on their part in the case of my daughter\u2019s disappearance. Every April 28 for the past 14 years, we have gone to the Colombian Foreign Ministry in an attempt to speak with whoever is in office and request assistance from the Colombian government in coordinating with the Ecuadorian government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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We did not expect anything from President Duque; as a staunch supporter of Uribe, we knew he had no interest in victims of disappearances, especially student activists and members of left-wing organizations. However, after more than three years, we have received no support from his government, despite expecting at least to be heard. When we go to the Foreign Ministry to seek assistance, they simply tell us to put it in writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Senator and presidential candidate Iv\u00e1n Cepeda, as a member of the Movement of Victims of State Crimes (Movice), has also been following my daughter\u2019s case, as have organizations such as the Jos\u00e9 Alvear Restrepo Collective and Senator Alirio Uribe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Once again, and perhaps for the last time during your administration, my family and the PST hope that you will listen to us, either directly or through your Foreign Minister. The officials who have headed the Foreign Ministry do not know the pain of having a loved one go missing. You, however, having experienced it with your comrades in the M-19, will understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Alix Mery Ardila<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Mother of Carolina Garz\u00f3n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Bogot\u00e1, 28 April 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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First published here<\/a> in Spanish by the PST (Colombia)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My daughter, Carolina Garz\u00f3n, disappeared in Quito, Ecuador, on 28 April 2012, while she was on holiday with classmates from the District University of Bogot\u00e1, where she was studying. Aged 22, she was a student activist and a member of the Socialist Workers’ Party (PST). The presidents of Ecuador and Colombia at that time were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":75988,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"litci_post_political_author":"Alix Mery Ardila ","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-colombia"],"yoast_head":"\n