The children were taken for financial and political reasons , he said . Alvarez acknowledges that many more children possibly were taken . Investigators zeroed in on the 1977-89 period because peak adoptions occurred during that time frame , particularly in 1986 . They will investigate through 1995 and hope to have another report ready by early next year , he said . A presidential ministry has determined that about 45,000 people disappeared during the nation 's civil war , which lasted from 1960 to 1996 . About 5,000 of those were children , the ministry said . Another 200,000 people died in the conflict between the leftist guerrillas and right-wing governments . The nation 's public ministry and attorney general 's office will determine whether anyone is prosecuted over the abductions , Alvarez said . Asked if he would like to see prosecutions , Alvarez answered , `` I hope so . '' Alvarez said he has attended several reunions of abducted children -- now adults -- and family members . `` I ca n't tell you how happy that makes me , '' he said . Adoption has served as a source of income in Guatemala for decades
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Guatemalan army stole at least 333 children and sold them for adoption in other countries during the Central American nation 's 36-year civil war , a government report has concluded . Around 45,000 people are believed to have disappeared during Guatemala 's civil war , 5,000 of them children . Many of those children ended up in the United States , as well as Sweden , Italy and France , said the report 's author and lead investigator , Marco Tulio Alvarez . In some cases , the report said , parents were killed so the children could be taken and given to government-operated agencies to be adopted abroad . In other instances , the children were abducted without physical harm to the parents . `` This was a great abuse by the state , '' Alvarez told CNN on Friday . Investigators started examining records in May 2008 for a period that spanned from 1977-89 , said Alvarez , the director of the Guatemalan Peace Archive , a commission established by President Alvaro Colom . Of 672 records investigators looked at , Alvarez said , they determined that 333 children had been stolen .