The Documentary Podcast - People Fixing the World: Helping Chile's stolen children

Download People Fixing the World: Helping Chile's stolen children

During the 1970s and '80s, thousands of Chilean babies were illegally kidnapped, trafficked and adopted. The practice was widespread during the rule of General Augusto Pinochet, who encouraged overseas adoptions to reduce poverty. A network of adoption brokers, hospital staff, social workers, judges, priests and nuns facilitated this trafficking. Today many of Chile’s ‘stolen children’ are trying to trace their birth families and their mothers are also looking for them. A small Santiago-based NGO called Nos Buscamos has helped hundreds of them reunite with their families using DNA testing kits, and a range of other techniques and technologies. We meet Constanza del Rio, the founder of the project and hear from the families they have helped to bring back together.

Published on Thursday, 22nd May 2025.

Available Podcasts from The Documentary Podcast

Subscribe to The Documentary Podcast

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the The Documentary Podcast webpage.