The arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London in October 1998 at the request of the Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, had given relatives of the thousands of people who died or “disappeared” in Chile following detention renewed hope that justice might at last be possible. It had also rekindled the debate about human rights violations committed during the years of military rule and reminded the civilian government that time has not lessened the anguish of the relatives and friends of those who “disappeared” who continue to campaign for the fate of their loved ones to be clarified and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
