Chile: A theatre group called Subterraneo, including its plays and playwrights, whether it devoted its performances to socio-political themes, whether Juan Edmundo Gonzalez del Valle was the director of the group from 1993 to 1995 and experienced problems from the authorities because of the political nature of his plays (1993 to present)

In a 24 April 1998 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an employee at the Theatre Department at the University of Chile stated that a group called Subterraneo does exist in Chile and that it participated in the Festival de Nueva Tendencia Teatral (which can be translated as the New Tendency Theatre Festival). She also stated Juan Edmundo Gonzalez del Valle was the theatre group's director, but has since died. The employee could not provide additional information on the group.

The following information was provided in another 24 April 1998 telephone interview with the director of a theatre school called la Escuela La Matriz in Valparaíso.

Subterraneo has and continues to produce plays with social themes in Valparaíso, including plays which have focused on the poverty of the mining community because of mine closures. For example, the theatre group presented a play called Extraño Barquero  two years ago, a play called Roland Bar last year and is presently putting on a play called Los Vivientes.

Juan Edmundo Gonzalez del Valle was director of Subterraneo between 1993 and 1995, and died in September 1996. The current director is Andres Garcia who works primarily with a team of four people — Candice Abuav, Christien Fierro, Romulo Oliva and Vilma Berdejo.

The director was unaware of any problems the group, including its former director, may have experienced in the past because of the nature of its work.

In a 23 April 1998 letter sent by electronic mail, an associate professor of political science at McGill University who specializes in Chilean politics and civil society stated that he was unaware of any theatre group being subjected to "persecution" in Chile, even when considering the 1980s when "opposition theatre groups were very active in Chile."

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, McGill University, Montreal. 23 April 1998. Letter sent by electronic mail.

Department of Theatre, University of Chile, Santiago. 24 April 1998. Telephone interview.

Escuela La Matriz, Valparaíso, Chile. 24 April 1998. Telephone interview with the director.

Additional Sources Consulted

The Europa World Year Book 1997. 1997.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1993-1998.

Latin American Regional Reports [London]. 1993-1998.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Global News Bank, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database), World News Connection (WNC).

Two sources consulted could not provide information on the above-mentioned subject.