Mexican Samuel Adrian Arrested Over Documentary Film ‘Colombia: Factory of Trans Children’
Mexican content creator Samuel Adrian, director of the documentary “Colombia: Factory of Trans Children,” was arrested on Sunday, Sept. 13, at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, in compliance with a judicial order issued by a court in Cali. The measure is related to a contempt of court proceeding stemming from the influencer’s refusal to remove material published online from circulation.
According to information released by Colombia’s National Police, the procedure does not constitute an arrest for the alleged commission of a criminal offense, but rather the enforcement of a judicial sanction. The order calls for 10 days of detention and a fine equivalent to 15 monthly minimum wages, which amounts to approximately 26 million Colombian pesos.
Adrian had warned that he could be detained before traveling to Colombia. In a video recorded at Tocumen Airport in Panama, he said he was aware of the order and stated that he would not change his position regarding the documentary. The content creator traveled to Bogota despite the possibility of being arrested.
‘Colombia: Factory of Trans Children,’ the documentary that led to Samuel Adrian’s arrest
“Colombia: Factory of Trans Children addresses, from a critical perspective, medical treatments and protocols related to gender transition processes involving children and adolescents. The production was made by the Fundamento team and features interviews, testimonies, and audiovisual material related to the debate over medical interventions involving minors.
The content sparked intense public debate even before its release. The documentary raises questions about the use of puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and other medical interventions involving minors, as well as the role of health care professionals and other institutions in these processes.
The documentary’s title uses the expression “Factory of Trans Children” to present the central thesis of its creators. However, this terminology reflects the production’s approach and language and does not constitute a conclusion established by judicial authorities regarding the existence of an alleged “factory” of transgender minors in Colombia.
The production also references physician Mario Angulo, a pediatric endocrinologist mentioned in the audiovisual content. The legal controversy focused precisely on part of this material and the way the physician was portrayed and recorded in publications made by Adrian.
The documentary presents Laura’s case and other testimonies about gender transition among minors
One of the testimonies featured in “Colombia: Factory of Trans Children” is that of Laura, a young woman from Palmira, Valle del Cauca, whose story is used by the production to address the experiences of minors who began gender transition processes and later questioned or reversed some of the decisions made during their adolescence.
Laura began her transition process at the age of 15 and received care at Fundacion Valle del Lili in Cali. According to the account presented in the documentary and the version provided by her legal representatives, she received treatments related to gender transition during her adolescence, including testosterone and puberty blockers. Later, in 2020, when she was already 18, she underwent chest masculinization surgery.
Laura’s story is also connected to legal proceedings in which her representatives have alleged irregularities in the medical care she received. The concerns raised include the assessment of her psychological history, the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and the informed-consent process. Laura later detransitioned and has described physical and emotional consequences associated with her experience.
The filmmakers present her case as part of the arguments used by the documentary to question protocols for treating minors who experience discomfort with their biological sex or seek to begin a gender transition. The production incorporates testimonies and other material to raise questions about the role of families, health care professionals, and educational institutions when dealing with these decisions.
However, the malpractice allegations are part of a legal controversy and should not be presented as an established finding of medical liability. Fundación Valle del Lili has publicly defended its procedures and stated that patients’ clinical information is protected by medical confidentiality.
Laura’s testimony is significant within the production because it portrays an experience of detransition and the consequences that, according to her account, resulted from the process she began during adolescence. Her story joins the interviews and testimonies used by Samuel Adrian to question treatments related to gender transition among minors and to promote debate over medical criteria, assessment processes, and consent in these types of interventions.
Why was Samuel Adrian sanctioned?
The legal proceedings originated with a constitutional protection action, known in Colombia as a tutela, filed by Angulo before the courts in Cali. According to information available about the case, the physician argued that certain publications and recordings used by Adrian violated fundamental rights, including privacy, reputation, and image rights.
The dispute included audiovisual material related to a conversation between the physician and the content creator. Adrian publicly argued that the recording took place in an open space and that the subject being discussed was a matter of public interest. The legal action, however, challenged the use and dissemination of that material.
The court ordered the removal of certain content related to Angulo. The dispute subsequently led to contempt proceedings because, according to information published about the case, Adrian failed to comply with the order to remove the material.
In Colombia, contempt of court is linked to noncompliance with a judicial decision, particularly orders issued through mechanisms designed to protect fundamental rights, such as a “tutela.” Therefore, Adrian’s situation should be distinguished from a criminal investigation: The measure enforced at El Dorado corresponds to a sanction for the alleged failure to comply with a court order.
The case has also sparked a discussion about the boundaries between freedom of expression, the right to report information, and the protection of individual rights. While Adrian insists that the decision seeks to prevent the dissemination of his investigation, the legal proceedings originated from specific complaints concerning the use and distribution of content about an identifiable individual.
President Abelardo de la Espriella speaks out about the case
The arrest also prompted a response from Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, who publicly addressed the case and called on Congress to open a legislative discussion about procedures related to gender transition among minors.
Through his X account, the president argued that the case should serve to promote a national debate about hormone treatments and other procedures involving minors. He also stated that issues related to the free development of personality and progressive autonomy require, in his view, legislative clarification.
De La Espriella called on Congress to establish limits and possible restrictions on certain procedures involving minors, arguing that any discussion should take into account the constitutional principle that children’s rights take precedence.
The president’s statement moved the case beyond the judicial sphere and into a broader political and legislative debate. The discussion involves issues related to health care, children’s rights, autonomy, parental authority, and the regulation of medical treatments.
Meanwhile, Adrian’s case remains tied to the contempt order that led to his arrest. The content creator has said that he will rely on his lawyers to defend his position and has maintained that he did not commit a crime. The National Police, for its part, has clarified that the deprivation of liberty stems from the enforcement of a judicial sanction rather than a criminal arrest.