Chile pays tribute to the victims of forced disappearances

Chilean authorities, humanitarian organizations, and memory sites will commemorate the International Day of Forced Disappearances with various events to honor the victims of the dictatorship.

According to official data, a total of 1,469 people were detained and forcibly disappeared or murdered during the 17 years of the regime of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). The whereabouts of 1,100 is still unknown.

“We cannot talk about full democracy when 51 years after the coup d’état many are still looking for their loved ones to bury them and be able to grieve,” said Alicia Lira, president of the Group of Relatives of Politically Executed Persons in an interview with Prensa Latina.

The activist valued the creation of the National Search Plan exactly one year ago, where the State is committed, together with social organizations and memory sites, to finding places where the remains of victims may be. From there, as she said, a table was formed in which the ministries of Justice, Labor, Defense, Culture, Universities, academics and members of groups were represented to advance in that direction.

Lira considered the collaboration of the Armed Forces, particularly the Army, to be very poor, because until now, they have not delivered the information they have in their possession.

The activist called for caution with data on search locations so as not to create false expectations for families who have suffered so much pain. She also raised the need to reinforce the human rights brigade of the Investigative Police, incorporate more leaders of family groups into the team and increase the number of experts.

“The work must be accelerated, the elements of the judicial power must be handed over and the information that radiates from the files must be applied in places where it is suspected that there may be victims,” Lira said.

The commemoration of the International Day of Victims of Forced Disappearances will take place at the Memorial of the Disappeared Detainee and the Politically Executed of the General Cemetery of Santiago.