Leida, an unbreakable mother who never gave her daughter up for lost: two years of searching until finding Arleth Carolina alive

NoticiaLeida, with backpack and turban, is embraced by her daughter Arleth at the Ventana al Mundo, Barranquilla. Photo: Social media06.11.2026 18:10 Updated: 06.11.2026 18:46 On October 19, 2024, three days before her life changed forever, Leida Castillo wrote a joyful post for her daughter's birthday. READ ALSO She wrote her a message that, without being clairvoyant or having a crystal ball, would become a letter of introduction before the tragedy. In her words she gave her a simple congratulation, loaded with pride, and thanked her daughter for being a "wonderful woman." She celebrated her intelligence, her wisdom, and the achievements she had attained. She wished her health and more years of life. She told her, in essence, that she was happy watching her grow. That daughter was Arleth Carolina Álvarez Castillo, a teacher from Barranquilla, holder of a master's degree in Education and a teacher at the Cobateco Educational Institution, in Sabanagrande. A woman whose disappearance, barely three days later, would open an impossible-to-measure void for those who loved her. How did Arleth disappear? On October 22, 2024, she left her residence in Alameda del Río (Barranquilla) and, from then on, her trail was lost. In the days following the disappearance, the family turned to the authorities and search efforts began. Arleth Carolina Álvarez, the teacher who was found after two years missing. Photo: Social media A circular issued by the CTI Missing Persons Group of the Attorney General's Office recorded Arleth's basic details: 35 years of age, approximately 1.60 meters tall, medium build, black hair, and a scar from surgery on her right leg. As an anecdote remains the annoyance of her relatives over that document, which contained an error and had to be clarified by her loved ones. The circular recorded September 22, 2024 as the date of disappearance, when in fact the family had always maintained that it occurred on October 22. READ ALSO But beyond the administrative details, the truth is that the days began to pass without concrete clues appearing. No calls, no messages, no verifiable news that would allow reconstructing what had happened. While the case became drowned among the hundreds of reports of missing persons that circulate each year in the country, Leida began every day from scratch. Her mother did not allow her to disappear Like someone who asks permission to go on an outing and the mother denies it, Leida went against the current and did not let her daughter disappear. Without a doubt, the story of Arleth's discovery cannot be understood without looking at what happened during those two years. Arleth Carolina Álvarez (left) and her mother Leida Castillo (center). Photo: Social media Because while the public interest in the case diminished as the months went by, her mother continued moving among institutions, citizen campaigns, social media posts, and public appeals. The photograph of Arleth became a permanent companion that she carried wherever she could take it; she spoke to whoever might listen; and she showed that image to whoever might have the possibility of recognizing her daughter. The relatives clung to any possibility that would keep the search alive and encouraged it in this complicated situation. Each week that passed without progress widened the uncertainty. However, abandoning the search never seemed to become an option for the family. A carnival of hope All of Leida's effort would find one of its most representative images on February 16, 2026, during the 'Batalla de Flores del Recuerdo Sonia Osorio'. She carried photos of her daughter everywhere, hoping to find her. Photo: Social media That afternoon, Barranquilla, in the midst of Carnival, was celebrating. The comparsas advanced along carrera 44 with joy, while among the crowd a mother walked with a long face, portraying the irony of this solitary life. Leida walked with a hat, dark glasses, and a sign with Arleth's photograph. She had zero interest in floats, parades, and drums, because she was searching for her daughter, who by then had been missing for about 16 months. During a conversation held that day with local media, she summed up the situation in a phrase that reflected the exhaustion accumulated by the family. "Since 2024 I haven't seen her, I haven't given her a hug, my family and I have been very worried. We don't know where to go, where to turn, where to speak." Nothing was known about this holder of a master's degree in Education, who worked as a teacher at Cobateco (Sabanalarga) and who during all that time had not received "a call" nor "a green light" that would allow knowing she was okay. The call and the green light Time kept moving forward until last October 2026, when Arleth had another birthday far from home. Arleth Carolina Álvarez was wandering the streets of Bogotá. Photo: Social media And a few weeks later, when the search had already surpassed two years, the news the family had been waiting so long for finally arrived: Arleth had been located in Bogotá. The information known so far indicates that she was found in the country's capital. Her mother later confirmed the discovery and traveled to the Andean city to reunite with her. According to her account, the tickets for the trip were provided by the Mayor's Office of Malambo. The family has kept the details related to the circumstances in which she was found and what happened during the time she was missing under reserve, so many questions remain open and the priority is focused on her current well-being. A well-being that so many times kept her mother awake at night and that today her parent, as if her girl were still a baby, takes care of providing. Without a doubt, there are pending questions and aspects that only they will be able to explain when they decide to do so. READ ALSO However, among all the pieces this case leaves behind, the one that stands out most is that this mother's miracle came true. For two years, she lived with uncertainty, survived the silence, put her hopes to the test, but, in Bogotá and against all logic, she found her daughter. You might also be interested in: #ElTiempo #NoticiasColombia #ÚltimaHora Photo: EL TIEMPO Follow all the news from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter. EL TIEMPO NEWSLETTERSSign up for our newsletters and receive news in your email according to your interests. Stay informed with what really matters to you. EL TIEMPO GOOGLE NEWSFollow us on GOOGLE NEWS. Always stay up to date with the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on Google News. EL TIEMPO WHATSAPPJoin El Tiempo's channel on WhatsApp to stay up to date with the most relevant news as it happens. 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