After an agonizing 45-year separation, María Verónica Soto was finally reunited with her twin daughters, Maria Beatrice and Adelia Rose Mereu Chessa, in Chile. The sisters had been taken from her as infants and adopted by a family overseas.
The heartfelt reunion unfolded in Concepción, located in the Biobío region, when the twins, now 46 years old, arrived from Italy, where they had been raised. This marked the first time Soto, aged 64, embraced her daughters since they were just eight months old. Although the twins were aware of their adoption in Chile, they had no recollection of their biological mother.
Back in 1979, during General Augusto Pinochet’s authoritarian regime, Soto gave birth to the twins in Hualpén. Following a routine medical check-up, she was informed that her daughters required further assessment. Instead, the infants were forcibly taken from her under accusations of neglect. When she sought assistance from the authorities, she was shocked to learn that her daughters had already been adopted abroad, with falsified birth records indicating no parental claim.
During Pinochet’s dictatorship, thousands of Chilean infants were illicitly taken and placed for adoption, predominantly in the United States and Europe. These children became known as the “Silent Generation.” Some were taken from impoverished mothers and sold through adoption networks, while others were coerced into relinquishment by family members, clergy, or medical personnel.
“Today, women’s voices are heard. Back then, mothers were silenced. We couldn’t raise our voices as we do now,” Soto reflected.
The journey toward reunion began in 2020 when Soto reached out to “Nos Buscamos,” a non-profit organization dedicated to reconnecting children adopted abroad without consent to their birth families. She submitted a DNA sample, which was entered into an international registry. After years of waiting, a breakthrough came when her grandson-one of the twins’ children-also took a DNA test, triggering the match. Within minutes of connecting on Facebook, Soto was in contact with her daughters.
On September 10, the twins arrived in Concepción, where the airport became a scene of joyous celebration. Upon arrival, they immediately embraced their mother. Overwhelmed with emotion, Soto repeatedly whispered, “Momma has always searched for you.”
Despite the language gap-Soto does not speak Italian, and her daughters are not yet fluent in Spanish-their embrace conveyed a profound connection beyond words.
“Our hearts are full of emotions and happiness because we finally found our mother. We long to be with her and the entire family-brothers, uncles, cousins, everyone!” Maria Beatrice expressed.
“I believe God answered my prayers,” Soto added. “This reunion feels like giving birth to my daughters all over again, but this time as adults.”
Both Soto and her daughters suspect they were misled, as the Italian adoptive parents were reportedly unaware that the twins had been taken without their mother’s consent.
Despite nearly five decades apart, Soto feels fortunate. She acknowledges that many mothers remain searching or have passed away without ever reuniting with their children.
“I fought relentlessly to find my daughters. That’s why I urge other mothers not to give up. Keep knocking on doors-today’s technology offers more opportunities than ever before,” she encouraged.
0 Comments