Aura Elena Farfan

Aura Elena Farfan is a fearless advocate for the families of the forcibly disappeared during Guatemala’s civil war (1960-1996), a bloody conflict that led to the killing and forced disappearance of approximately 200,000 civilians.  Farfan has been a human rights activist since her brother disappeared in 1984.  She received death threats throughout the years for her work and was kidnapped by armed assailants in 2001.  In 2015, Time Magazine named Farfan as one of its 100 Most Influential People.  In 2017, she was prominently featured in Finding Oscar, an award-winning documentary produced by Steven Spielberg.  Despite the recognition she has received, Farfan has worked quietly over the years, and seldom appeared in the spotlight.  Farfan’s 33 years of dedicated work in the quest for justice for families of the forcibly disappeared has inspired a generation of young activists and shines a light on transitional justice efforts in Guatemala.