Chile: Between a “Citizen Consultation” and the Historic Debt Owed to the Victims of the Dictatorship

 By Rodolfo Varela

The Chilean government has launched a new virtual citizen consultation on human rights, open until July 31, 2025. 

Until next July 31, 2025.

The stated goal is to gather public opinion in order to design the Third National Human Rights Plan and the Third National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. But from our lived experience, this feels like just another round of broken promises, endless diagnoses, and programs that never change lives.

The official announcement claims this consultation will allow citizens to express their views on the goals and actions proposed by public institutions regarding human rights. A nice sentence that looks good on paper, but in practice, it feels like a new exercise in bureaucratic absurdity — more forms, more delays… and zero justice.

We, the ones who were persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, and exiled under the military dictatorship, don’t need more surveys or public workshops. What we need is real justice and fair reparation. We want dignified pensions, proper recognition, and humane treatment — not just in speeches, but in laws and concrete actions.

More than 50 years have passed since the coup. For decades, we’ve seen plans being drafted, documents being signed, roundtables being held. Meanwhile, many of our fellow victims have died waiting. Time keeps marching on, and the debt remains unpaid.

Even worse: some so-called "exonerated" individuals who served the dictatorship now receive massive pensions, while the real victims — those who fought for democracy and human rights — survive on disgracefully low payments. The political and judicial powers remain complicit in silence: deaf, mute, and blind to this injustice.

That’s why this new consultation feels too little, too late. It’s not that we reject citizen participation — far from it. But now, more than ever, this participation must lead to tangible outcomes, especially for those of us who gave part of our lives in defense of democracy and now live in poverty and neglect.

The Chilean state owes a historic debt to its victims. It can no longer delay fulfilling that obligation. Listening to the people is fine — but what really matters is delivering on that promise.

Because a more just, more united, and truly ours country cannot be built with surveys — it must be built with justice. 

🗳️ Your opinion matters: If you wish to participate in the virtual consultation, you can do so until July 31, 2025, at the official platform:
👉 www.consultaciudadanaddhh.gob.cl (sample link)