Opinion: Pinochet's ferocious dictatorship unleashed a wave of human rights violations in Chile which the country is still dealing with today
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the military coup in Chile. General Augusto Pinochet and his military junta took power by force, overthrowing the democratically elected socialist government of Salvador Allende. The junta remained in power for 17 years, establishing one of the most ferocious dictatorships of the 20th century.
According to the official numbers, human rights violations left behind 1,102 victims of enforced disappearance, 2,125 victims of political executions, and around 40,000 victims of political imprisonment and torture. The number of those who fled the country and went into exile is believed to be around 200,000.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime in 2006, Donal O'Herlihy looks at the life and times of Chilean military dictator General Augusto Pinochet
The Chilean path to deal with the legacy of massive human rights violations has been long and most difficult, characterised by multiple advancements and setbacks. Two official Truth Commissions were established in 1990 and 2003. The first was the Rettig Commission, which revealed the truth about those who had been detained-disappeared and executed; the second truth commission, the Valech Commission, revealed the truth about the cases of torture. The last truth-seeking mechanism was A Roundtable Dialogue (Mesa da Dialogo), which occurred between militaries and civilians in 2001, and it concluded its work in 2011. For the first time, the militry admitted to killing Chilean people and throwing their bodies into the ocean.
After the arrest of Pinochet in London in 1998, trials for human rights violations started in Chile. Hundreds of perpetrators have been convicted since then and many other cases remain under investigation. Beyond trials, multiple reparation programmes have been implemented and gradually expanded over time. Many memorials have been erected, including a Museum of Memory and Human Rights in 2011, which stands as an example worldwide.
From AP, coverage of Pinochet's arrest in London in 1998
Fifty years on, the Chilean state still has obligations to the relatives of the disappeared. Last week, the president Gabriel Boric, who has shown unwavering support for human rights and memory since his election, announced the launch of a plan to try to locate the whereabouts of thousands of disappeared who are still unidentified.
The dictatorship's violence and multiple human rights violations left deep scars in Chilean society and caused profound, persistent divisions. This year's anniversary and commemorations show that the past still divides Chilean society.
The 30th and 40th anniversaries of the coup were equally charged, with deep symbolism and criticism. But Chilean society was much more united on both occasions in condemning the coup and its infamous consequences. Since the 30th anniversary, it has been political suicide to defend the image of Pinochet publicly or to justify the violations committed. Unfortunately, extreme right-wing groups have emerged on the political scene in the past few years and there seems to be a dangerous comeback of certain narratives that justify the coup and the human rights violations.
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From RTÉ News Archive, Orla Guerin reports on casualties of Pinochet regime in Chile, including Luis Tricot, the father of two Irish children who became a political prisoner when he returned to Chile after eight years in Ireland
History repeats itself and, despite all the differences between their governments, a parallel in their aspirations can be drawn between Allende and Boric. Allende’s dream was to implement a reformist socialist agenda following a democratic path. The Boric government promised to follow a social democrat agenda that would tackle the enormous inequality problem of Chile. The election of Boric represented hope for millions that significant reforms would be undertaken to change the status quo. Chileans have been asking for 50 years the same things: better living conditions, social protection, better housing and adequate health care and pensions.
This year's commemoration has a bittersweet flavour. On the one hand, it raises some hopes for the relatives of the disappeared, who have waited for so many years to get answers from the state. On the other, it shows that Chilean society is increasingly frustrated and is losing hope in the ability of the political classes to respond to people’s needs. This mounting dissatisfaction with democracy in Chile should ring an alarm bell for all democracies under threat worldwide.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
