What is comprachico?

Comprachico is a term that originated in literature and refers to a hypothetical group of people who were supposed to be able to alter the physical appearance and mental abilities of children through a range of surgical and psychological means. The term comes from the French word "comprachiquer" which means "to transform".

The term was popularized by Victor Hugo's novel "The Man Who Laughs" in the 19th century, in which a group of people known as Comprachicos traveled around Europe with the goal of physically deforming children and then teaching them to perform as freaks in circuses and carnivals. The Comprachicos were depicted as a secretive and inhuman group, that inflicted brutal surgeries on innocent children in order to create a spectacle for profit. However, it should be noted that the idea of the Comprachicos was purely fictional and there is no historical evidence of such a group ever existing.

Today, the term "comprachico" is still used metaphorically to describe those who attempt to manipulate or control children's minds or bodies, or the process of preventing children from reaching their full potential.