Filipino missionary priest Father Conrado de la Cruz of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is one of the estimated 45,000 'desaparecidos' in Guatemala. (Photo supplied)
Guatemala was witness to more than four decades of war that culminated in the signing of a peace accord in 1996.
For a country with a population of 8 million then, it was known for its 669 massacres, the killing of 250,000 people, the displacement of 40,000 and the disappearance of at least 45,000 others during the conflict.In recent years, the discovery of 504 disappeared children and their reunification with their biological families was a welcome respite. Finally knowing their true identity has become a meaningful victory for those who worked hard to find the long lost children, now adults.