Chile: Information on the Group of Relatives of Executed Politicians (Agrupación de Familiares de Ejecutados Políticos) since 1973
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CHL28940.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Chile: Information on the Group of Relatives of Executed Politicians (Agrupación de Familiares de Ejecutados Políticos) since 1973, 1 March 1998, CHL28940.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abc140.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a letter sent to the Research Directorate on 11 March 1998, a professor of political studies at the University of Guelph who specializes on Chile stated that the term "ejecutados políticos" in Spanish means "people executed for political reasons," not executed politicans (11 Mar. 1998). In a 10 March 1998 letter, he stated that the Association of the Relatives of Executed Political Prisoners (Agrupación de Familiares de Ejecutados Políticos) is one of many groups in Chile who deal with former detainees, political prisoners, the disappeared, the executed and their relatives. The professor adds that the group has been operating for about 20 years in Chile.
In a 10 March 1998 letter sent to the Research Directorate, an associate professor, specializing in Chilean civil society and democratic movements, at the Department of Political Science at McGill University, stated that the Agrupación's address is Santa Lucia 162, Santiago. This information is based on the Guia Silbert, a directory of Chilean non-governmental and governmental organizations. The directory also lists Berta Ugarte R. as the group's president, Juan Soto López as the vice-president and Berta Manriquez as general secretary.
However, a 7 November 1997 CHIP News report describes Berta Manriquez as the president of the Agrupación. The same report states that Manriquez testified in Spain that 140 members of the Chilean Armed Forces were involved in committing human rights abuses against 2,087 people, including 10 Spanish citizens. During several hours of testimony, she gave names of officers, showed photographs and provided information on the officers linked to these human rights abuses.
An earlier CHIP News report states that human rights groups, including the Agrupación de Familiares de Ejecutados Políticos and the Agrupación de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos, were able to join the Spanish government's lawsuit against members of the Chilean régime for the disappearance of several Spanish citizens during General Pinochet's régime (9 Oct. 1996).
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 of Political Science, McGill University, Montréal. 10 March 1998. Letter sent to the Research Directorate by electronic mail.
CHIP News [Santiago]. 7 November 1997. "Witness Links Military to Human Rights Abuses." [Internet]
_____. 9 October 1996. "Chileans Join Legal Action in Spanish Court." [Internet]
Professor of Political Studies, Guelph University. 10 and 11 March 1998. Letters sent to the Research Directorate by electronic mail.
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International. March 1996. Chile: Transition at the Crossroads Human Rights Violations Under Pinochet Rule Remain the Crux.
Corporación Nacional de Reparación y Reconciliación. 1996. Informe sobre la Calificación de Victimas de Violaciones de Derechos Humanos y de la Violencia Política.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 1993-1997.
Fundación de la Ayuda Social de las Iglesias Cristianas. 1997. Situación de Derechos Humanos en Chile 1996.
Human Rights Watch World Report. 1995-1997.
Inter-Church Committee for Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA). Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in Chile. 1988-1991.
Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1989-1998.
Latin American Regional Reports: Southern Cone Report [London]. 1990-1998.
Resource Centre Amnesty International file. 1973-1998.
One source consulted could not provide information on the above-mentioned subject.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Global News Bank, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database), World News Connection (WNC).
