Latin American Left: Between Rhetoric and Betrayal

Posted by Rodolfo Varela

As a man of the left, persecuted, tortured, and a political exile, I must speak clearly: we have been betrayed.

Forced disappearance as a guarantee of non-repetition

In Chile and across much of Latin America, parties that call themselves progressive – such as the Socialist Party (PS), the Party for Democracy (PPD), the Communist Party (PC) and others – came to power promising social justice, reparations, and dignity for the victims of past dictatorships. Yet reality has been quite different: grand speeches, broken promises, and shameful neglect.

Empty “Magic Words”

Concepts such as “democracy”, “rule of law”, “gender equality”, “poverty”, “hunger”, “justice” and “freedom of expression” are repeated like political mantras. But they have become tools of manipulation – words used to legitimize governments and perpetuate elites, not to bring real change to people's lives.

Institutions That Fail

Even institutions such as the National Institute for Human Rights (INDH) and associations of former political prisoners, exonerated workers, torture survivors, and families of the disappeared have fallen into bureaucracy and indifference.
When one seeks help from these organizations, the response is often cold, mechanical, and disrespectful.
They have forgotten that behind each case file lies a shattered life, a family, a pain that does not expire.

Chile’s Unpaid Historical Debt

After the dictatorship, Chile’s governments – mostly from the left – promised fair reparations. The truth is that the pensions provided to victims do not even reach 50% of the minimum wage, while former officials and bureaucrats continue to enrich themselves with massive salaries.
Is this the concept of justice the Chilean left stands for?

Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos

2025 Elections: The Same Old Rhetoric

Now, as Chile approaches its 2025 presidential elections, we hear the same empty promises once again.
Victims of the dictatorship are used as tools of political marketing – their pain transformed into votes.
But we know what follows: forgetfulness, indifference, and betrayal.

Power for Power’s Sake

What we have seen in many so-called progressive governments across the region is not a commitment to historical memory or to the dignity of victims. It is a project to remain in power, using human rights as an electoral banner while abandoning their true essence: the defense of the people and genuine equality.

Conclusion

Today I speak out, without fear and without double standards:
The left we once knew – the left that called itself humanist – has drifted away from its principles, turning the memory of victims into political currency.
It is time to demand coherence, transparency, and respect.
Because justice is not a slogan. Justice must be done.