Paraguay Activates Urgent Search for Mother, Baby, and Three Teenagers

Paraguayan authorities have urgently activated the MAFE Law protocol following the reported disappearances of five individuals, including a mother and her newborn baby, across different parts of the country. The National Police, through its Missing Persons Search and Location Department, has issued urgent search bulletins, appealing for public assistance.

The most concerning case involves Cinthia Mabel Ríos Arévalos, 25, and her newborn son, identified by the initials R.N. Ríos Arévalos. They were last seen on Friday afternoon at the maternity ward of the Pedro Juan Caballero Regional Hospital.

In the eastern region, two teenagers were reported missing on the same day. Iara Valentina Ponce de León, 15, disappeared from her home in Minga Guazú, last seen in the Nuevo Horizonte settlement. In Ciudad del Este, Dyland Nahuel Salcedo Acosta, 15, went missing from the San Lucas neighborhood.

Additionally, in the Chaco region, María Emilia González Gavilán, 16, was reported missing from the Santa Cecilia community during the early hours of Friday. She was described as wearing black pants, a black hooded blouse with green, and black shoes, with a slim build, fair skin, and black hair with reddish highlights.

Authorities urge anyone with information to contact 0986 760 083, the 911 system, or the 147 Fono Ayuda line. The MAFE Law, named in honor of María Fernanda “Mafe” Benítez, was established to expedite institutional responses to child and adolescent disappearances by removing bureaucratic delays and ensuring an active search begins immediately upon reporting.