Original article: Gobierno de Kast bajo presión internacional: 82 organizaciones acuden a la CIDH por recortes y debilitamiento de políticas de DD. HH. The Network of Observers in Justice and Memory, along with 82 human rights organizations, family groups of victims, and memory sites, have requested that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) demand information from the Chilean State regarding the «severe dismantling of human rights, memory, and justice institutions» that has emerged in the country since José Kast took office as President.
This measure exerts pressure on the far-right leader, aiming for the autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), responsible for promoting and protecting human rights in the region, to make a request to La Moneda based on Article 41 of the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR). In a public statement, the organizations outlined that they have informed the IACHR about a series of serious administrative measures adopted by Kast’s administration since March 11, which violate fundamental rights in Chile. Kast Aims to Dismantle the Institutions of Human Rights, Memory, and Justice Among the most critical points is the elimination of specialized human rights units within the State, following the dismissal of Paulina Zamorano, Magdalena Garcés, and Tamara Lagos, operational leaders of the National Search Plan for over 1,400 individuals who are still missing since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
This action was justified by citing the need for «new guidelines» and a relationship of «exclusive trust» with Kast’s administration. The organizations also criticized budget cuts that jeopardize the continuity of the Human Rights Program, which plays a central role in truth, justice, and memory, as well as the Comprehensive Health Care and Reparations Program (PRAIS) and over 140 social programs. Additionally, there are concerns regarding the implementation of «passive pardons,» through the deliberate omission of state judicial action, which, according to the groups, «facilitates scenarios of impunity for those convicted of crimes against humanity.
» It is worth noting that the Association of Families of Executed Political Prisoners (AFEP) recently reported that the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Fernando Rabat, allegedly instructed through the Head of the Human Rights Program, Constanza Garrido, that the lawyers in the area abstain from intervening in amparo resources and requests for sentence reductions; this has resulted in the «withdrawal of previously filed appeals and the prohibition of arguing cases in which they were previously involved. » They also informed the IACHR about the «weakening of memory policies,» evidenced by the halt of initiatives at emblematic sites like Colonia Dignidad, after Kast’s government announced the suspension of the expropriation process initiated by former President Gabriel Boric, affecting 117 hectares of the German enclave, which was the scene of torture and human rights violations during Pinochet’s military-civic dictatorship, aimed at transforming it into a site of memory. Setback in Access to Justice and Guarantees of Non-Repetition The organizations warned that these decisions represent a serious setback that may «compromise Chile’s international obligations, particularly impacting access to justice, the right to truth, and guarantees of non-repetition.
» In the statement, both the Network of Observers in Justice and Memory and the 82 organizations noted that their request to the IACHR, which they deemed a «historic outreach,» reflects a «cross-cutting and urgent concern regarding measures that threaten to dismantle public policies built over decades. » They expressed confidence that the Commission can verify whether the measures implemented by Kast align with international regulations and inter-American standards, «especially regarding the obligations of guarantee, non-regressiveness, and justice in response to serious violations. » Below you can access the public statement shared by the 82 organizations.