The aim is to trace the route of the disappearance of the victims, collaborate with judicial investigations and help to shape memory and guarantee non-repetition, without prejudice to the establishment of criminal responsibilities.

President Boric signed the decree making the National Search Plan official for its implementation, in the framework of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which is commemorated this August 30.

The objective of the National Search Plan is the clarification of the circumstances of disappearance and/or death of the victims of enforced disappearance, in a systematic and permanent manner, in accordance with the obligations of the State of Chile and international standards.

The National Truth and Justice Search Plan has the following objectives:

  • Clarification of the circumstances of disappearance and/or death of the victims of enforced disappearance and their whereabouts.
  • To guarantee access to information and participation of relatives and society in the search process for victims of enforced disappearance.
  • Implement reparation measures and guarantees of non-repetition of the crime of enforced disappearance.

In this way, the plan will trace the route of the disappearance of the victims, collaborate with judicial investigations and help to shape memory and the guarantee of non-repetition, without prejudice to the establishment of criminal responsibilities. This plan will have permanent governance and an allocated budget, so it will exist as a public policy instrument to be implemented, executed and respected by every government. The work to develop the plan also benefited from the input of victims’ family groups, memory sites, representatives of academia, think tanks, civil society organisations and other relevant actors. However, it is felt that a further effort should be made for it to have the most accurate register possible of the number of people who were direct victims of the repression.

Figures on victims of the dictatorship

Various judicial investigations, together with the work of different bodies such as the commissions set up by the state, have established that at least 3,200 people were murdered or made to disappear during the period between 1973 and 1990.

  • The following number of victims has been estimated without certainty:
  • Victims of enforced disappearance: 1,469 persons (1,092 correspond to disappeared detainees).

Politically executed persons without delivery of bodies: 377.

To date, criminal responsibility for the forced disappearance of victims has been established, and state agents have been convicted as perpetrators, accomplices or accessories, as well as civilians in the same capacity.

In addition, these proceedings have led to the identification of 307 victims of enforced disappearance.

The National Plan for the Search for Truth and Justice will continue with the work of searching for, recovering, and identifying victims, and the possible restitution of the victims of enforced disappearance.