Foundation For Human Rights in Guatemala

Adriana (Portillo) Bartow 's Struggle for Justice

On Sept. 11, 1981, Guatemalan police swept through the house of Adriana Portillo-Bartow, taking away her father, her two daughters, Glenda 9, and Rosaura 10, their step-grandmother, and Portillo-Bartow's 18-month-old half-sister. They were never seen again.

Adriana's almost 20 year struggle to find her family, to find the truth and to bring to justice those responsible has led her to found the organization, Where Are the Children?.  It has also led her to file charges against a number of top Guatemalan officials.  After much foot-dragging by the Guatemalan authorities, she has brought the case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and finally joined the case of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchú Tum against Guatemalan officials, being held in Spain.

In August of 1999, Adriana's case against Guatemalan officials received national press coverage.  The links below contain accounts by Prensa Libre and others on this theme, including the search for Donaldo Alverez, one of those implicated and believed to be living in the United States.

Prensa Libre August 1, 1999 (spanish, photos) - Querella por plagio contra ex luquistas

Prensa Libre August 2, 1999 (spanish, photos) - Piden juicio a tres ex funcionarios del gobierno de Lucas

Prensa Libre August 3, 1999 (spanish, photos) - Madre pide investigar desaparición de sus familiares

Prensa Libre August 4, 1999 (spanish, photos) - Familiares de víctimas del conflicto armado reclaman justicia y verdad

Prensa Libre August 5, 1999 (spanish, photos) - Inician búsqueda de Donaldo Alvarez