Human Rights Policies in Chile: The Unfinished Struggle for Truth and Justice

This book offers an analysis of the "truth and justice" policies implemented in Chile since the 1990s. A central assumption is that human rights policies are a form of public policy and like other public policies they are the product of the political context from which they emerged. Consequently, the nature and extent of the human rights policies designed at a given time are a reflection of the existing political environment and of the balance of political forces. Because of their partial and political nature, these "truth and justice" policies instead of satisfying the victims' demands and providing a mechanism for closure and reconciliation, as expected by many, generate new demands and new policies and actions. Needless to say, these new policies and actions will also be partially satisfactory to those pursuing justice and the truth and too damaging to those trying to protect the structure of impunity. Thus, the author does not assume that Chile's human rights historical drama is finished but rather that the 40th anniversary of the violent military coup that brought General Pinochet to power provides a powerful milestone with which to end this policy analysis.