“I want them to give me back my son”: Families search for conscripts missing in Viacha

“I want them to give me back my son.” Silveria Mamani’s plea captures the anguish of families still searching for conscripts who disappeared after explosions at the Bolívar barracks in Viacha.

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I want them to give me back my son.

Mamani arrived seeking answers about her son, who was serving at the barracks and is believed to be among the missing. She said authorities had not told her where he was. “He is not there, he is not there. I know nothing,” she repeated while asking for information.

Her son has a wife and a four-month-old daughter. “Please, give me back my son,” she said.

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All night we went from hospital to hospital.

The uncertainty has also gripped the family of Wilson Copa Mamani, a 17-year-old conscript. His uncle said relatives spent the entire night going from hospital to hospital, hoping to find him among those evacuated after the explosions. Wilson remains listed as missing.

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What if my nephew was alive inside the rubble last night? Maybe we could have saved his life.

The family said it had received no precise information about whether he was alive or dead, or what had happened during the blast. Relatives were told he might be under the rubble, but they said they could not confirm that. His uncle questioned the delay in work at the site and feared Wilson might have survived the explosion. “What if my nephew was alive inside the rubble last night? Maybe we could have saved his life,” he said. After hours without answers, he added: “Until now, I think we no longer have hope. We have already lost. But we do want justice.” Families continue to demand official information about the conscripts’ whereabouts and condition.

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Until now, I think we no longer have hope. We have already lost. But we do want justice.