Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan is leading a mission to Chile to assess the country’s human rights situation. This visit coincides with the tenth anniversary of the arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London and with the 25th anniversary of Amnesty International’s section in Chile.
The first Amnesty International Secretary General to visit Chile, Martin Ennals, travelled to Santiago in 1978. Thirty years later, there have been many advances on human rights, but much remains to be done.
The military government of Augusto Pinochet was characterized by brutal repression, enforced disappearances and the worst of human rights violations. Amnesty International has a long history of work on Chile since the military coup in Chile on 11 September 1973, with a research visiting the country in November 1973.
Now, 35 years later, it is clear that the wounds of the past have not healed, and many human rights issues remain to be solved.
During the visit, Irene Khan will meet survivors and relatives of victims of human rights abuses committed during the Pinochet regime, as well as some of those suffering abuses today – including members of indigenous communities in Temuco and Calama. She will also meet government and civil society representatives to discuss the human rights challenges facing Chile, as well as participate in public events.