Precision digital social mapping for the search for missing persons in Guaviare, Colombia

Abstract

The precision digital social cartography for the search of disappeared persons and the location of places of irregular disposal of corpses in Guaviare, as well as, the strategy of dialogue between knowledges. Firstly, it allows an active participation of criminal experts, scientists, investigators, validators and victims. Secondly, it permits to document cases of missing persons (PD) (Acronym from Spanish).  Thirdly, identification of places, where corpses are disposed. In this way, creating an atmosphere of trust and thoroughness resulting from the anonymization of the sources and identity of the persons providing information, taking as a starting point the humanitarian character of the location and the possible recovery.

This article reports the preliminary results about the implementation of the methodology in two regions; Guaviare and Meta. Where the cases have been documented in the SIRDEC Information System for Bodies and Missing People (acronym from Spanish) with the following distribution 153 in San José del Guaviare, 110 in Calamar, and 78 in El Castillo (Meta).

Therefore, social mapping becomes a precision tool that articulates the traditional knowledge of communities, the processes of technological application and the documentation of cases to ensure the search for missing persons, unidentified persons and provide for the search of sites, graves, and other irregular burial sites.

Consequently, this methodology is a process to develop and research that human rights seekers and defenders must improve with help from academy, science, and dialogues of knowledge. Which might be applied in the context of the fight against impunity and crimes such as the enforced disappearance of persons.