Cautivos

Cautivos is the plural form of cautivo, a Spanish noun and adjective that refers to a person who has been captured or held against their will. As a noun, it denotes individuals in captivity, such as prisoners of war, hostages, or enslaved people. As an adjective, it describes conditions or acts of detention or capture, for example “situación cautiva” or “cautivos políticos.”

Etymology: The term derives from Latin captivus, through the Spanish verb cautivar, meaning to capture or seize and keep. The word is related to the broader concept of captivity and to other Romance-language terms with a similar root.

Historical and modern contexts: Throughout history, captives have been held for exchange, ransom, labor, or punishment. In colonial and imperial eras, many Indigenous peoples and other groups were taken as cautivos. In contemporary usage, cautivos can refer to hostages, detainees in armed conflict, or victims of trafficking and forced confinement. The term is largely descriptive and may be used in legal, historical, or journalistic contexts.

Legal and ethical framework: International humanitarian law distinguishes between prisoners of war and other detainees, providing protections for their treatment under the Geneva Conventions and related instruments. Human rights law also prohibits torture and ensures due process, humane treatment, and mechanisms for redress. The status and rights of captives depend on their precise category—combatants, civilians, or persons forcibly deprived of liberty.

See also: prisoner of war, hostage, captivity, enslavement, human trafficking.