Delayed but Necessary Justice: Chile Orders Pinochet’s Heirs to Repay Millions in Embezzled Public Funds

 

By Rodolfo Varela

Santiago, Chile – The recent ruling by the Seventh Civil Court of Santiago marks a major step forward in Chile's long and painful journey toward justice. 

Heirs of the Dictator and Thief Pinochet

The court has ordered the heirs of dictator Augusto Pinochet to repay more than 16 million U.S. dollars embezzled from public funds. This decision is more than a legal milestone — it is a cry for dignity and a signal that history cannot be buried in silence or impunity.

For decades, the victims of the military regime have demanded justice, not only for the brutal human rights violations but also for the systematic looting of public wealth. Pinochet was not only a bloodthirsty authoritarian — he was a thief. While he murdered, tortured, and exiled thousands of Chileans, he also enriched himself and his circle. And to this day, there are still Chileans who justify his actions.

Impunity in Culture and the Media

One of the most painful — and often overlooked — aspects of the dictatorship was the betrayal that took place within Chile’s own artistic and cultural circles. Actors, singers, radio and TV hosts collaborated with the regime, betraying colleagues, justifying crimes, and lending their voices to the dictatorship’s propaganda machine.

Even more disturbing is the fact that certain artists — who never achieved real success on their own merit — gained wealth and visibility by serving the regime. Some performed at private parties for high-ranking military officials, exchanged favors, and built fortunes from the suffering of a country in mourning. While the people were being tortured, silenced, or forced into exile, these figures were celebrating in luxury halls and drinking with the executioners.

Today, many of them are millionaires. Some are still active in television and media, and some even proudly call themselves “Pinochetistas” in public — without any accountability. How is it possible that in a country striving to heal its wounds, we continue to allow such people to hold influence and public voice?

It is an insult to the memory of those who are no longer with us and a slap in the face to those who still carry the trauma. There can be no real reconciliation without memory, and there can be no true memory if we continue to reward silence and complicity.

A Verdict That Brings Hope

This judicial decision does more than demand financial reparation — it reinforces the moral responsibility of all those who benefited from the dictatorship’s crimes. Pointing the finger at Pinochet alone is not enough. Justice must also reach his collaborators: high-ranking military officials, politicians who grew rich from the regime, unscrupulous businessmen, religious leaders who blessed the killings, opportunistic artists, complicit journalists, and a judicial system that often looked the other way.

Who was Pinochet? Meet the thief, assassin and commander of the Chilean Dictatorship

Where are the judges who legitimized torture? Where are the parliamentarians who, without shame, still celebrate the legacy of Pinochet? How long will the political heirs of the dictatorship continue to enjoy impunity disguised as legality?

A Nation Still in Debt

Chile owes a historical debt. It owes justice to the disappeared, to the mothers who died without knowing where their children were, to the children who grew up without parents, and to the exiles who never returned. This ruling is a small step toward reparation, but it must only be the beginning.

A truly democratic and just country cannot be built without dismantling the structures of power inherited from the dictatorship. Corruption, classism, silent repression, and social inequality — all are rooted in the model imposed with blood and fire.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

But there is hope. Because as long as justice moves forward — even slowly — the future can be different. Seeing the courts finally acknowledge the theft, the fraud, and the moral depravity of the Pinochet regime opens a path toward a more honest, transparent, and truly united Chile. A Chile that belongs to all of us.

This ruling does not erase the pain — but it honors it. And it reminds us that, no matter how hard they try to deny it, truth always finds its way. And with truth comes justice.