RELATIVES OF DISAPPEARED FEAR HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM
IN JEOPARDY UNDER PRESIDENT PIñERA

Press Release by AFDD

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Association of Relatives of Disappeared Persons (AFDD) has carefully observed the development of human Rights policy since the inauguration of the new government, comprised of political parties born under the wings of the dictatorship.

Our first meeting with a representative of this government has been this week with attorney Rossy Lama Diaz, the recently appointed executive director of the Human Rights Program, agency under the Interior Ministry. During the two hours that the meeting lasted, once more we heard the same discourse that has been repeated endlessly since the inauguration of President Piñera regarding effectiveness and efficiency and optimization of resources, as priorities over truth, justice and memory. The creation of the ambiguous Òadvisory councilÓ comprised of lawyers external the Human Rights Program, the hiring of a lawyer "I trust," in the words of Ms Lama, and the hiring of a business manager have no relation to the objectives this office pursues, which are to prosecute and obtain convictions for perpetrators of human rights violations.

However, what disturbed us most was Ms LamaÕs declaration that "we will respect the rights of families who do not wish to pursue penal responsibilities of human rights violators." This outrageous statement ignores international humanitarian law that establishes the obligation for democratic states to prosecute individuals who on murdered fellow citizens behalf of the state.

Clearly, the restructuring of the Human Rights Program aims to weaken what has been achieved thus far. In this context, effectiveness and efficiency can be measured only in terms of further Truth and Justice. This can only be accomplished with political will, the allocation of more funds for investigative judges, more lawyers committed to their cases and less business managers worried about making good use of the photocopier.

We offer Ms Lama a word of advice. We have always sustained that an excellent way to accelerate the cases is by obtaining the confessions of those individuals responsible for committing atrocities, namely members and former members of the Armed Forces and police. Given the trust that exists between your political alliance and the military, we suggest that you ask the current Undersecretary of Defense the retired General Oscar Izurieta, General Emilio Cheyre or retired Admiral Jorge Arancibia to turn over to the courts the information that we know they possess, concerning who violated human rights.

This is our assessment following the meeting with the new executive director of the Human Rights Program. It does not bode well. Especially, in light of events such as the militarization of areas affected by the earthquake, the curfew still in effect in Concepcion, the carte blanche the President personally gave Special Forces on the eve of the Day of the Young Combatants, the frustrated appointment of a governor who belongs to the support network of Colonia Dignidad, the presence of business managers everywhere, including the National Indigenous Peoples Commission, and the appointment as Defense Undersecretary of retired General Oscar Izurieta who had barely removed his military uniform when he became a man of trust for the new administration.

All indications suggest that impunity, repression and the loss of freedom are being installed in Chile. The future is not bright. However, the Association of Families of Disappeared Persons will meet this new adversity by strengthening our actions, with the confidence that we are coherent with the political ideals our victims championed.

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