Chilean President Gabriel Boric spoke about memory and democracy, noting that the environment around the nation was charged with meaning and avoiding any weather-like forecast. As the 50th anniversary of the dictatorship approached, Chile remained deeply divided over the legacy of the coup that split its history. The government has decided to task the state with clarifying what happened to 1,162 people who disappeared during Augusto Pinochet’s regime (1973–1990). The initiative adds another layer to the ongoing debate.
During a speech before nearly 500 attendees, including relatives of repression victims, Boric declared that democracy is defined by memory and by the future, and that one cannot exist without the other. The Plan to Search for Truth and Justice was presented in Plaza de Constitución, opposite the La Moneda palace, once targeted by Sea Harrier bombers on September 11, 1973. In front of the headquarters where Allende announced his refusal to resign and faced the costs of that resolve, Boric emphasized that it is time to agree on a basic point: democracy should never be disrupted through violence, and no one should be silenced for thinking differently. These statements were offered in the context of a national conversation about the fate of those listed as missing. The government argues that human rights must be protected, and that the state bears responsibility for ensuring justice and accountability.
Right and far-right factions were absent from the ceremony, and Boric was not invited to certain formal aspects of the case. The government rejected this rationale. Despite tensions within the Constituent Council and Congress, Boric aims to pursue a policy that marks a turning point from the past. Justice Minister Louis Cordero stressed that action comes from the state and that what may seem small can have a significant impact. It is estimated that 3,200 people were murdered during the period, with 1,162 still officially listed as missing. The government’s program seeks to determine how detainees were held and to add those victims to the list of the disappeared through thorough investigations.
A Possible Plan
Thirty-three years into the democratic transition, the government believes the task is achievable. He noted that the Armed Forces and Police have provided specific information for forensic investigations. Beyond that, the government aims to create conditions that encourage those who may have information to cooperate and share what they know, facilitating the investigative process.
Jan Jarab, the South American representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, praised the scope of the program. He underscored the importance of accessible information and collaboration across society, including those who have made a commitment to this issue. The plan was described as an unprecedented move by Alicia Lira, president of the Association of Relatives of the Politically Executed, since prior administrations had not made this ethical, political, moral, and justice-driven need visible.
Political Traps
On the 50th anniversary of the coup, Chile found itself without a single, unifying narrative. Critics pointed to hostile rhetoric in some media and comments from former president Michelle Bachelet about her father, General Alberto Bachelet, who died in a dictatorship prison. Knowledge of the era varies widely; many Chileans were not alive during the coup, and others possess biased family histories. Sociologist Julio César Carrasco, who studies post-traumatic stress, cautioned that a full synthesis of the period is unlikely. September 11, 1973 remains a subject passed down through generations with varying emphasis.
The Truth and Justice Plan unfolds amid this complex backdrop. Opponents have offered new reasons to doubt the official narrative. In discussions, some referenced the general’s suicide, while others argued about accountability for past killings and the legacy of figures involved in the repression. Supporters stress that leaders must be measured against the duty to respect all people, including the dead, while advocating for national unity. Critics have warned that some voices use the platform to demean opponents. Within the political landscape, there are those who forecast a renewed push for a new constitution aligned with their own vision.
Ultimately, the dialogue continues as Chile grapples with the deepest wounds of its recent history, and the Plan to Search for Truth and Justice seeks to illuminate what happened to the disappeared and to lay groundwork for a shared understanding that can sustain a peaceful, rights-respecting future. (Cite: UN OHCHR and Chilean human rights organizations)