Colombian Family Finally Buries Man Disappeared Over 30 Years Ago

After more than three decades of not knowing his whereabouts, the family of Félix María, a man who disappeared during Colombia's armed conflict, was finally able to bid him a dignified farewell. The Unit for the Search of Disappeared Persons (UBPD) facilitated the ceremony this Wednesday.

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The body of Félix was found in the department of Meta and could be returned to the family, a task that was developed in an articulated manner with the Territorial Internal Work Group Meta.

Félix María's remains were found in the Meta department and returned to his mother, Romelia, and daughter, Yudi. The UBPD worked with its territorial team in Meta to ensure the remains were delivered to the family. This marked the end of a search that began three decades ago when Félix, who worked in cattle ranching, disappeared from his native Caquetá department while seeking new opportunities in Meta.

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I know I have him here. He is no longer absent.

The funeral took place in the cemetery of Florencia, the capital of the Caquetá department. Romelia, Félix's mother, shared her mixed emotions of grief and joy. "I know I have him here. He is no longer absent," she stated, fondly remembering her son's love for milking cows and the countryside. Yudi, who was only two years old when her father disappeared, is now recovering memories of him. She plans to immortalize his name by drawing it on his tombstone, finally allowing him to rest in peace after being kept in an "inadequate, undignified place."

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He liked milking and the countryside very much.