The chain has been circulating since 2015, warning of an alleged “order” from prison to steal children.

After appearing in 2015, a chain of “prison clan orders” to steal children was circulated on social networks and websites in at least 12 Latin American countries. The text was denied by various national authorities and there was no record of the threat in the press due to “waves” of child abductions. However, in April 2023, the text reappeared in accounts from Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Argentina, causing concern for parents and caregivers.

“We need to stay with our kids #urgent #past ‘Followers’ This information was sent directly from prison. ‘I am a prisoner, and I tell you from my heart to be very careful with your children. Don’t leave them idle at any time’. Lately the orders from here elder clans jail have been to steal children”, read hundreds of posts shared on Facebook (1, 2) from April 8.

The message did not mention the nationality of the alleged prisoner, which prison, city and country he is in.

AFP Factual started with the first sentence of the string on Twitter, Facebook and Google search engines, leading to posts and websites in many countries.

In Facebook The oldest publication found by AFP is January 28, 2015 and in Twitter on February 7, 2015, both from Venezuelan accounts. This version of the viral text states that the inmate who allegedly gave the warning is being held at the Aragua Correctional Center. Tokoron Prison In Venezuela.

From the Google search results, the text was also passed Mexico And Costa Rica In 2015, Colombia and Peru (1, 2In 2017, Argentina, Uruguay And Bolivian In 2018, Guatemala (1, 2) and Savior In 2020, Puerto Rico And Ecuador In 2021.

Denials and Complaints

AFP Factual searched with keywords “Child theft“”Order from prison“”Officers” and the name of the countries. In this way, denials were circulated by government spokespersons from various quarters.

In 2015, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office said That “There is not a single case or report of child abduction”. That same year, then-ombudsman in Venezuela, Derek William Sapp, Indian His team interacted with the states’ guardians. “We did not receive complaints about this issue from any of the 24 delegations“, he pointed out.

In 2017, the Attorney General of the Republic of El Salvador refused There was information about a wave of alleged child abductions by gangs. “We don’t have information on that, but we’re going to analyze it, we’re going to review itsaid then-Attorney General Douglas Melendez.

Also in 2017, Uruguay’s Ministry of the Interior replied El País told the newspaper that the information in the text was incorrect and that it had already passed through Colombia and El Salvador.

In February 2021, the news went viral in Ecuador Prison crisis. That month, the media reported the deaths of dozens of inmates linked to clashes between gangs who financed them through drug trafficking. Local verification mechanisms then contacted the police was assured There were no threats to abduct children ordered from prisons.

The Costa Rican Justice Ministry told the newspaper Nation In 2021 that message is false. The outlet also contacted the Prisons Police, an agency that denied the text was sent from the prisons they manage.

Contacted by AFP in May 2023, the press office of Ecuador’s National Police Directorate specialized in children and adolescents (Dinapen) “No knowledge on this particular topic”.

Argentina’s Ministry of Defense described in a communication with AFP Factual that they have no record of the alleged threat and that they are alert if any information on the matter emerges.

AFP conducted a news search in the region, with no coverage or police testimony or alleged victims, limiting the results to dates between April and May 2023.

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