Why did the Chilean Truth Commission established and how?
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General Augusto Pinochet took over the government from Salvador Allende in 1973 through a military coup. Pinochet rules Chile by the iron fist from 1973 to 1989 when he conceded to have lost elections to Patricio Aylwin. President Patricio Aylwin created the Chile National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation to make inquiries into the atrocities occasioned by the government and her conspirators during Pinochet’s administration. The commission was made up of eight commissioners; two of which were women while the rest were men (Hayner, 2010, p.47).
Patricio Aylwin rose to the position of president after holding campaigns on the truth, justice and reparations platform. After assuming office, public pressure could not let the president walk away from his promises to the electorate. The president was under pressure, but he had to proceed with the creation of the commission one month into his term. Patricio Aylwin was the president, but Pinochet still maintained significant support. The commission was a compromise between plunging the country into chaos if the perpetrators got prosecuted, and delivering justice for the victims (Hayner, 2010, p.23).
President Patricio Aylwin through a Supreme Decree in 1990 directed the interior ministry to establish the commission. The commission is also known as the “Retting Commission” had the mandate of investigating human rights abuses that may have occasioned death while Pinochet’s governed Chile.
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In addition to that, the Retting Commission was to find out, and make records of forced disappearances that occurred during Pinochet’s government (Weissbrodt and Fraser, 1992, p. 28). The commission was explicitly directed not to bother itself with torture and other human rights abuses that did not result in death. The Retting Commission was to confine itself to inquire about the situation where persons disappeared after arrest either through execution, torture, or forced disappearance (Hayner, 2010, p.48).
Chile as a country was in relief after a long time, and it was upon the president to exercise the wishes of the people. The Decree issued to the ministry of justice outlined the aspirations of the people of Chile. It was from the hopes that the commission received directions on what to document. The people of Chile under the leadership of Aylwin wanted to clear their worries. The society felt that it would be against their proper judgement if they continued to allow the minority to exercise powers bestiwed upon them by the electorate without addressing human rights infringement that happened from 1973 to 1990 (Hayner, 2010, p.47).
President Patricio Aylwin insisted that it was after the discovery of the truth that the government could assist in the dispensation of justice and healing of the nation. It was from the reality that people could come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. False condemnation was vast during Pinochet’s government, and it was time people got the truth so that they could honor the departed in a befitting manner (Weissbrodt and Fraser, 1992, p. 24).
Apart from exercising the powers bestowed upon him by the Chile constitution, president Patricio Aylwin was the head of government, and it was him who was answerable to the people over past government actions. Aylwin hoped to unearth and make public the circumstances that existed while Pinochet disregarded human rights. The whereabouts of several people could not get determined since the assumption of power by Pinochet; it was upon the government of the time to find out where they were (Hayner, 2010, p.48).
The Retting Commission’s findings were made public in 1991. What exactly transpired was now in public after which, the commission went on to give recommendations. Most of the suggestions remain unrealized to this day. The commission left many people who suffered during Pinochet’s era uncovered since its mandate was limited (Hayner, 2010, p.49).
References
Hayner, P. (2010). Unspeakable Truths 2e: Transitional Justice and the Challenge of Truth Commissions. Routledge.
Weissbrodt, D. and Fraser, P. (1992). Report of the Chilean National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation.
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