Pro-Búsqueda Presents Its Expertise in Genetic Identification in Montreal

The Pro-Búsqueda Association participated in the 31st Congress of the International

Society for Forensic Genetics, held from August 17 to 21 in Montreal,

Canada. This international event brought together specialists from around the world to

exchange knowledge, experiences, and advancements in the field of forensic genetics.

Representing Pro-Búsqueda, Dr. Patricia Vásquez participated in the

congress and presented the organizations experience and the results of the work it has

carried out since 2006 using DNA analysis to identify children who disappeared during

the Salvadoran armed conflict.

Through the collection of biological samples, documentary research, and the

comparison of genetic profiles, Pro-Búsqueda has established a DNA database that

currently contains 1,776 genetic profiles. Between 1994 and 2026, the organization

received 1,082 requests for assistance, of which 1,010 cases were incorporated into the

DNA database.

This work has contributed significantly to the resolution of cases and the reunification of

families separated by enforced disappearance. Of the 1,082 requests received, 47% of

the cases have been resolved, and among those resolved cases, 27.8% have resulted

in family reunification.

Participation in this congress provided an opportunity to share internationally the

expertise that Pro-Búsqueda has developed over decades of work and to reaffirm the

importance of forensic genetics as a tool for truth, memory, justice, and family

reunification.

Would you like to learn more about DNA and the genetic identification of missing

persons?

Click on the image below to learn more.