“My parents were clear from the very beginning. They’re going to have to kill all of us, but we are not leaving from here” Maria Fernanda Restrepo Arismendi, a filmmaker, social activist, and researcher spoke to Peoples Dispatch about the forced disappearance of her brothers, Santiago and Andrés, at the hands of the Ecuadorian National Police in 1988. To this day, despite a tireless, decades-long struggle led by her family, especially her father Pedro Restrepo, the truth of their disappearances has yet to come to light. Pedro Restrepo passed away on December 24, 2024, without knowing the truth of his sons’ disappearance.
This interview comes at an important moment as Ecuador is once again facing a situation of increased militarization, internal conflict, and increased impunity for armed forces. On the day of Pedro’s death, the bodies of the four young Afro-Ecuadorian boys, Ismael, Josué, Nehemías, and Steven, were found, charred near a military base. They had gone missing two weeks prior after they were arbitrarily arrested by the military.
Camera: Roberto Peñafiel
Edit: Vyshakh Thaliyil
