Loan Case: The Catholic Church is concerned about possible child trafficking in Argentina

The Migrants and Itinerants Commission of the Argentine Episcopal Conference spoke out with concern about the disappearance of little Loan Danilo Peña, 5 years old, which keeps the authorities in an intense search, with the hypothesis of a case of human trafficking.

Loan was last seen on Thursday, June 13, at a family lunch at his grandmother’s house, in the El Algarrobal area, near the town of Nueve de Julio, in the Argentine province of Corrientes. The investigation already includes 6 detainees, including a former municipal official and her husband, a retired sailor; and federal security forces were deployed in the search.

Due to the case that keeps the country in suspense, on Monday morning the governor of Corrientes, Gustavo Valdés, offered a Press conference in which he spoke about the possibility of human trafficking.

The Episcopal Commission for Migrants and Itinerants (CEMI) manifested concern for the disappearance of the little boy and expressed solidarity with his family, pledging his prayer that “he be found as soon as possible.”

From the Commission, which works in the area of ​​Human Trafficking, together with the Religious Life of the NEA region (Northeast Argentina), they expressed their pain “for being a defenseless little boy and for the circumstances he may be suffering.”

“Several conjectures were made during these days of searching and the possible possibility that he could be another victim of the so-called ‘human trafficking’ is gaining strength, a reality that tears the social fabric of our country and that is often not recognized.” sufficiently by society itself and by those responsible for ensuring the lives of its inhabitants,” they lamented.

“We are concerned that unfortunately similar events continue to be repeated without alerts and procedures being activated in time, hindering their clarification,” they added.

Faced with this reality, they expressed their repudiation of “the disappearances, the violence, the complicities.”

In that sense, they called on the justice officials, the government at its different levels, the security forces and all citizens “to commit ourselves to the search for justice and to be able to find Loan alive.”

Finally, they joined their voices with that of Pope Francis, who in your message for the X World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking, said: “It is possible to combat trafficking, but it is necessary to get to the root of the phenomenon, eradicating the causes. If we close our eyes and ears, if we remain inert, we will partners in crime”.