Chilean activists discussed the traumas of Augusto Pinochet’s regime, emphasizing the need to remember its victims and address historical injustices. The panel, featuring Veronica De Negri and Marco Echeverría, highlighted ongoing societal impacts and the importance of memorialization. They called for action to confront and prevent similar oppressive regimes in the future.
On Monday, Chilean human rights activists and former student protesters convened at the Elliott School of International Affairs to address the collective trauma stemming from Augusto Pinochet’s regime. Notable figures included Veronica De Negri and Marco Echeverría, who emphasized the necessity of remembering victims and confronting Chile’s troubled past. The event was organized by LATAM@GW and moderated by Rosela Millones, a collective memory researcher from the University of Chile.
The Pinochet regime commenced on September 11, 1973, when the leader ousted President Salvador Allende, whose government was left vulnerable due to covert U.S. support. His rule lasted for 17 years and resulted in the torture, kidnapping, and murder of thousands. De Negri asserted the egregious nature of the regime’s actions, stating, “What I can tell you is this thing happened. Not as an accident, these things happen by political decision, be very clear about that, always have the government involved.”
Millones pointed out that the effects of the Pinochet regime’s brutality are still evident in today’s social, political, and cultural sectors of Chile. She lamented the ongoing struggle to come to terms with this past, noting that many victims remain unaccounted for due to the societal reluctance to acknowledge these human rights violations.
After Pinochet’s departure in 1990, the Chilean society began to gradually recognize the need for healing. Millones indicated that, “In 2023 on the 50th anniversary of the coup, a nationwide research plan was launched to find those more than 1000 people who are still being sought by their families.”
De Negri shared the personal tragedy of losing her son Rodrigo, who was killed during a demonstration in 1986. She conveyed that the denial surrounding such events is concerning, illustrating that despite the passage of over 30 years, many Chileans choose to forget. “After I was arrested, … I feel sorry because she’s still thinking that she was the only one that suffered,” she expressed.
Echeverría addressed the evasion of confronting Chile’s dark history, stating that the democratic government chose to move beyond the past. “With the new wave of democracy in Chile, there was a big effort to not remember, to keep moving forward, to not dwell on the past,” he remarked.
The dialogue concluded with an emphasis on the importance of memorializing the victims to foster collective understanding and ensure such atrocities do not recur. De Negri poignantly summarized, “Memory is something that we cannot forget because we have a responsibility in this world. And one of the responsibilities, is the thousands of things we have to do, is never forget.”
In summary, the panel discussion highlighted the urgent necessity of addressing the collective trauma left by the Pinochet regime in Chile. Activists underscored the importance of remembering victims and confronting the historical injustices that continue to affect society. A call to action was made for public acknowledgment and memorialization of the past to prevent future atrocities, reinforcing the notion that memory is essential in safeguarding human rights.
Original Source: gwhatchet.com
