Chilean activists Veronica De Negri and Marco Echeverría discussed the lasting impact of Augusto Pinochet’s regime on Chile, highlighting the importance of remembering victims of human rights violations. The panel emphasized confronting collective trauma and the necessity of public memorials to prevent recurrence of oppressive regimes. Personal testimonies illustrated the ongoing struggle for acknowledgment and justice, culminating in a call for societal responsibility in remembering history.
On Monday, Chilean human rights activists Veronica De Negri and Marco Echeverría convened to address the collective trauma stemming from Augusto Pinochet’s regime at the Elliott School of International Affairs. They emphasized the necessity of remembering victims and confronting Chile’s history of oppression, moderated by Rosela Millones, a researcher from the University of Chile and affiliated with LATAM@GW, a student organization focusing on Latin American issues.
The discussion revisited the events of September 11, 1973, when Pinochet, backed by U.S. covert actions, overthrew President Salvador Allende, leading to 17 years of severe authoritarian rule. During this period, the regime perpetrated extensive human rights violations, affecting many innocent individuals who were tortured or disappeared.
De Negri commented on the strategic nature of such atrocities, asserting, “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 highlighted the lingering impacts of Pinochet’s tyranny, noting how many Chileans remain unaccounted for and the absence of thorough investigations.
Following Pinochet’s exit from power in 1990, genuine efforts to examine the regime’s deleterious effects have only recently begun. Millones noted the launch of a nationwide research initiative in 2023, marking the coup’s 50th anniversary, aimed at locating over 1,000 missing individuals. “That’s how present, that’s how painful are the open wounds of the dictatorship,” she stated.
De Negri shared a personal account of loss when her son, Rodrigo, was tragically killed during a protest against the regime in 1986. She criticized the ongoing amnesia surrounding this period, emphasizing society’s obligation to honor the memory of victims and confront the past. “After I was arrested, and I was arrested with other two women…the truth is, I look at her, and I look at me, I feel sorry because she’s still thinking that she was the only one that suffered,” she recounted poignantly.
Echeverría, reflecting on his time as a student activist, expressed that the post-Pinochet government sought to advance without addressing the past, stating, “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 underscored the importance of establishing public memorials to foster recognition and understanding of the past atrocities.
De Negri concluded with a vital reminder of responsibility: “Memory is something that we cannot forget because we have a responsibility in this world…is never forget. Because when we forget these things still happening.” They collectively agreed that remembering history is essential to prevent its recurrence and ensure justice for past abuses.
The discussion among Chilean activists highlighted the enduring effects of Augusto Pinochet’s regime on contemporary Chile. They emphasized the need to confront collective trauma and remember the victims’ experiences. Personal narratives underscored the importance of historical memory as a means to prevent future atrocities, with calls for memorialization and greater societal acknowledgment of the past. Ultimately, the panel signaled that remembrance and responsibility go hand in hand in the quest for justice and healing in Chilean society.
Original Source: gwhatchet.com
