Chile takes a fundamental step in social justice by prosecuting for the first time those responsible for illegal adoptions during Pinochet’s dictatorship, recognizing these crimes as crimes against humanity and seeking to repair the harm done to thousands of affected families.

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In a historic advancement for justice and human rights in Latin America, the Santiago Court of Appeals has ordered the preventive detention of five individuals accused of participating in a network of illegal adoptions during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973-1990).

This judicial process represents a crucial acknowledgment of the systematic violations committed under the military regime and a firm step toward the reparation of victims and their families.

A Criminal Network That Violated Fundamental Rights

The judicial investigation, led by Judge Alejandro Aguilar Brevis, revealed that during the 1980s in San Fernando, a network composed of lawyers, Catholic priests, health officials, and a judge, Ivonne Gutiérrez Pávez, operated to abduct minors from impoverished mothers and illegally place them with foreign couples in exchange for sums that could reach up to $50,000.

This criminal scheme not only stripped thousands of children of their identity and family roots but also exposed the institutional complicity that allowed these crimes to continue under the dictatorial regime.

Ministro Alejandro Aguilar dicta primer procesamiento por caso de sustracción de menores y solicita a Israel extradición de encausada https://t.co/RSBrKnWQBh pic.twitter.com/tvFrubh1Yn

— Poder Judicial Chile (@PJudicialChile) June 2, 2025

The text reads: Minister Alejandro Aguilar Issues First Indictment in Case of Child Abduction
The investigation determined that in the 1980s, there existed in San Fernando a network made up of lawyers, priests, members of social organizations, health officials, and a judge, whose purpose was to identify and hand over minors for adoption—children whose mothers were of limited means—to foreign couples in exchange for payments that could reach up to $50,000.
Judicial Branch
Republic of Chile

Recognition of Crimes Against Humanity and Pursuit of International Justice

Judge Aguilar Brevis classified these acts as crimes against humanity, rejecting any statute of limitations arguments and basing the criminal prosecution on the American Convention on Human Rights and the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

This legal stance strengthens the fight against impunity and puts Chile on the path to fulfilling its international obligations. Furthermore, the extradition of Ivonne Gutiérrez Pávez, currently residing in Israel, has been requested under the new European Extradition Convention, highlighting the Chilean state’s determination to confront these crimes regardless of borders.

Public Security Minister Luis Cordero stated that this judicial decision represents “a small light of hope” for those who have waited decades for justice. However, he emphasized that criminal prosecution must be accompanied by public policies that facilitate the reunification of separated families.

Currently, the Chilean state is advancing in gathering information and international cooperation to identify and reunite abducted children with their relatives. It is estimated that around 20,000 minors were affected, of whom only about 1,000 have been reunited with their families,a process that must be accelerated and deepened to heal the wounds left by the dictatorship.

This judicial process not only represents an act of justice for the victims but also a firm commitment to historical memory and the defense of human rights in Latin America, reaffirming the need to confront past crimes to build fairer and more supportive societies

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