This September 11 could have been different

The commemoration of another year of the coup d’état in Chile could have been different this year; because we had the possibility of having buried the Constitution of 1980, one of the main legacies of the Pinochet dictatorship, but it was not so.  The people of Chile in a massive vote clearly pronounced themselves for the rejection of the proposal for a new constitution that the Constitutional Convention elaborated. 
Although the citizens did not approve the constitutional proposal, it should be mentioned that it has been proven on countless occasions that the current Constitution hinders the changes necessary to achieve a fairer country, so it is essential to continue efforts to change it. In addition, we cannot forget that in the entry plebiscite almost 80% voted in favor of having a new Constitution, so the need to have a State capable of welcoming and protecting all its inhabitants remains intact. Now what corresponds is to open a path that leads to that result.  
But, in addition to the fact that we still have a new Constitution, we must also remember the debts that are dragged to advance in truth, justice, comprehensive reparations and guarantees of non-repetition regarding the human rights violations committed in the period of the dictatorship. After The last public account of President Boric, Amnesty International values the announcements on the recovery of memory sites and the National Plan for the Search for Disappeared Detainees. The latter is consistent with the State’s duty to intensify efforts to search for persons who were victims of enforced disappearance in dictatorship and democracy, guaranteeing their identification and the restitution of their remains in dignified conditions. It is important that clearer steps are taken to make these announcements. 
Finally, it is also time to recall the serious and widespread human rights violations committed during the social upheaval and the challenges that the State of Chile continues to face with respect to them. In this case, we have valued the participatory process in which victims are being involved in the design of reparation policies. However, it is also important to bear in mind the scenario of impunity in which we are, since of 10,954 complaints only 14 convictions have been reached so far. It is necessary to advance in justice and, as we have said repeatedly, to clarify the responsibility that the high commands of the Carabineros had. 
In short, this September 11 is the time to reaffirm the need to end the legacy of a constitutional text prepared under the Pinochet regime and to settle all the debts that the State of Chile has regarding the human rights violations committed both during the dictatorship and in the social outbreak. We are convinced that in order to look forward and build a culture that respects human rights among all people, we must take care of our debts.

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Original source in Spanish