translated from Spanish: Christian Democracy Gives Andrés Aylwin Award to Lawyers Life During Dictatorship

The Christian Democracy presented the “DD Award” on Friday. Hh. Andrés Aylwin” to more than 30 lawyers who defended the life and physical integrity in courts of hundreds of Chileans during the dictatorship.
The activity was held in the Museum of Memory and authorities participated such as former President Ricardo Lagos, the President of the Radical Party, Carlos Maldonado, the Senator and Vice President of the Socialist Party, José Miguel Insulza, the Vice-President of the PPD, Domingo Namuncura, and the Deputy of the Democratic Revolution, Pablo Vidal, among family members and other dD figures. Hh.
“They once asked Andrew Aylwin why he was bringing amparo appeals when, time and time again, they were rejected. And he answered perhaps as all of you did at some point: Not because the courts of justice cease to do their duty, we will cease to do ours,” said Timonel DC Fuad Chahin, before rewarding long-time lawyers as Pamela Pereira, Ignacio Walker, Roberto Garretón, Gabriel Ascencio, Hernán Montealegre, Alvaro Varela, Luciano Fouillioux, Adolfo Zaldívar, among others.
Asked for a new anniversary of the NO Triumph and the award, Chaunn said that “I think obviously more like this, which has to do with the recovery of democracy and the fight against dictatorship, brings us back and I think the big challenge is to learn from it. There were always differences, background differences, tactics, strategic, but in the end what cousin were the common goals. No one was asked what party it was when it came to defending them when they were persecuted, then they were able to agree on a goal that was to restore democracy with what was the concertation by the No for the plebiscite – which tomorrow we celebrated 31 – and it was they kept those differences.”
“However,” he added, “he was then able to build a government program, to choose a candidate like Patricio Aylwin and from those differences, but looking for meeting points to build the most successful political coalition in the history of our country and I I think we have to learn from that. First let’s put the goals that unite us, not trying to quell the differences, but understand that diversity is a capital that can contribute to generate majorities that allow us to achieve those goals and I think that’s learning today and therefore that example, the testimony of those of us who pay homage today and also of Don Andres Aylwin has to serve us for that, to care about the important, the transcendent, the deep and not the superficial.”
For his part, the vice president of the PS, Senator José Miguel Insulza, said that “the past always designs it and we know perfectly well that by the year 87 we were completely divided still and someone thought that a simple goal that was the NO to Pinochet could unite us. Maybe we should think of simpler goals than aiming for a whole long agenda and debate.”
The President of the Radical Party, Carlos Maldonado, assured that “by putting ideas in common over differences, an important political force was established that not only allowed democracy to be restored, but to give progress and stability to the country. So we are in that same endeavor and that is a task that we are in the centre-left party, to build a new alternative for the future.”
Finally, the deputy and head of the party of the Democratic Revolution, Pablo Vidal, emphasized that “if a person who represents democratic values that I share and of which I feel heir is Don Andrés Aylwin Azócar. He was a Christian democrat, but no one today can say anything other than that Don Andrés has a weight that transcends the borders of his party, he is a man who risked his life in the defense of human rights.
“When I received the invitation from Fuad Chahin to this award, on behalf of Don Andrés, I felt that it was completely natural to be here, because I believe that if there is someone we have to recognize now and in the future it is people like Andrés Aylwin and people like Andrés Aylwin tamwin they also fought for the defence of human rights at a time when doing so put their own lives at risk and they were not afraid to do so. I am here precisely because I believe that Don Andrés Aylwin represents values that we have to take care of. He fought for a democracy in Chile where the political differences we have do not nullify civic friendship,” the PARLIAMENT said. 

Original source in Spanish