R&I – FS
Antofagasta, Chile – Samuel Burgos Espejo was just a child when soldiers killed his older brother, one of the victims of a 1973-1990 Chilean dictatorship that saw thousands of dissidents tortured, executed and forcibly disappeared.
“I was 11 years old when they killed my brother. I saw the death at the front door of my house,” Burgos Espejo, now 56, told Al Jazeera.
In 1973, a United States-backed military coup overthrew Chile’s elected socialist President Salvador Allende and swept General Augusto Pinochet to power. The Pinochet dictatorship ended more than 30 years ago, but many families of its victims are still seeking justice.
They have been sounding the alarm during Chile’s presidential election race, as the dictatorship emerged as an issue in the months leading up to Sunday’s runoff, with far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast holding Pinochet in high esteem.
The runoff pits Kast, a far-right religious conservative, against Gabriel Boric, a progressive social democrat. The winner will take office on March 11 next year and likely face fierce opposition in a divided Congress.
Kast, a 55-year-old lawyer and former congressman, garnered more votes in the first-round election last month. Boric, a 35-year-old congressman and former student activist, subsequently led in the polls until a pre-election poll publication ban kicked in on December 5.
The electoral roll now acknowledges people forcibly disappeared during Pinochet’s rule.
JW
Article URL : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/17/still-alot-of-pain-dictatorship-victims-haunt-chile-election