Human Rights Tourism in Chile
We entered the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Chile’s capital, Santiago, with the goal of learning more about it’s complex political history and to understand what once happened in the streets we had wandered through earlier that day. The first thing we noticed was the world map on the back wall, made up of photos from all around the world encapsulating the human rights violations that have occurred in our history. Despite making up the shapes of each continent, the photos seemed to be in no particular order and it was often hard to tell in which country each photo was taken.
What struck me most about this map was the notion that no country is immune or innocent either, and that entering the museum with a sense of judgment, or detachment from what happened in Chile, would take away the ability to really empathise and pay respects to all those being remembered.
The map was not intended to segregate countries via their human rights violations, or compare who had committed the most heinous crimes, but rather remind us that the fight for justice, freedom and equality is universal.
A nearby wall read: “The universal concept of victimhood is a principle rooted within international criminal law and human rights. This means that the struggle against impunity is an obligation incumbent upon everyone, because the indifference of a few scars us all.”
The rest of the museum takes you through the journey of the 17 yearlong military dictatorship that took hold in Chile, from day one of the military coup in 1973 through to the end of Pinochet’s reign in 1990. From personal stories of torture and disappearances, to footage of national news broadcasts and protests at the time, each section is curated with such detail and care, that it is hard not to feel very much a part of what happened. Audio packs are given in many different languages so that you don’t miss any important information, but I must admit, there is a lot to take in.
Most tourists come to Chile with ideas of adventure and sightseeing, from the magnificent glaciers of Patagonia to red sand dunes in San Pedro de Atacama; there is no shortage of incredible sights to see. But for the conscious traveller, it is equally important to gain an insight into the country’s past to fully appreciate its modern day culture.
Having Chilean family and the experience of living in Santiago on exchange, I have had time to understand different views of the dictatorship and can see how a very real social and political division still exists in Chile. Yet as my friends and I walked through the museum, we often looked at each other and could only utter one word, how?
Many Chileans still don’t know where there loved ones ended up, and the cases discovered are shocking beyond belief. An estimated 3,197 people were killed or disappeared, and another 38,000 detained and tortured (the number of cases discovered continues to increase). Even the current president of Chile was detained and tortured when she was younger, in Villa Grimaldi, a mansion converted into a prison in the very neighbourhood I’m currently living in in Santiago.
For visitors like us, who are granted freedom of speech and security, imagining living in fear with basically all liberties taken away is unfathomable. The museum makes clear the very grave consequences of having different political views or standing up against impunity at that time. How could such a large-scale human rights violation be ignored?
But travellers need to be aware that not all Chileans adopt such views, particularly some in the upper class. Pinochet was responsible for a huge economic growth which made a lot of people very wealthy. Furthermore, there was a lot of political unrest and unpredictability in the years Salvador Allende was president. Chileans would never know when the food would run out, the power cut off or their businesses seized. Pinochet took over and promised to restore order and control.
But with control came the disappearances and murders of those who disagreed with his regime, or anyone who was said to be posing a threat to the society he wanted to create. The excuse of “terrorism” was often used — they would say that people disappeared or were killed because they posed a risk, disrupted society, had hidden weapons or were plotting against the government. Often there was no excuse or acknowledgement of their disappearance at all.
My aunty shared her uncle’s story with me.
“He was such a kind man, well loved and respected in his community, and very successful. But I think many envied his success, and may have been suspicious of it, I’m not sure, but someone told the military that he was hiding weapons in his house. So they came in the middle of the night and searched his house. Obviously they didn’t find anything, so they took him away in front of his family. He was detained and tortured for four months until he told them where the weapons were, but there were none to tell of. They eventually thought he was dead so they threw his body out into the dirt, but he regained consciousness and made his way back home. He died not long after from an illness contracted in the detention centre.”
My grandma went on to tell me about another man she knew from her church who was tortured for information regarding his friends who were part of a worker’s union. Unions fighting for their rights were seen as a big threat and disruption.
“Did the man steal anything? Hurt or kill anyone? No. He was tortured for having inconvenient friends [for the military]. A lot of families were left with a lot of pain. I believe the society will be divided for a long time.”
This is only a glimpse of the many painful stories from the dictatorship era, and the museum highlights many more. But the last section of the museum is a gallery of hope. As international pressure for a democratic election grew, Chileans banned together to fight for their freedom to vote, despite the fear that had grappled them for years. A national plebiscite was called and for the first time people were allowed to speak out against Pinochet and vote NO.
So the majority voted NO and Chile overcame its harsh rule, beginning the long track to recovery in the years that followed. The Museum of Memory and Human Rights stands tall in commemoration of all the people who lost their lives and those fought for Chile’s freedom. It demonstrates the power of advocacy and humanity’s strength against injustice. The famous words of Maya Angelou come to mind:
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
Written by Gabriela Brand
Practical Information:
*Museum of Memory and Human Rights.
Location: Right next to metro station Quinta Normal, on Line #5
*Villa Grimaldi is another famous detention centre and memorial site.
Location: Av. José Arrieta 8401, Peñalolén. Metro station: Plaza Egaña Line #4 (Then take bus 513 or D09)
*The National Stadium was the biggest detention centre in Chile during the dictatorship and now frequently visited by tourists.
Location: Avenida Grecia 2001, Ñuñoa, Santiago. Metro station: Parque O’Higgins, Line #2
