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Original article: 1.469 casos de detenidos desaparecidos en nómina oficial del Plan Nacional de Búsqueda: primer informe traza mapa del rastro de las víctimas

On International Human Rights Day, President Gabriel Boric received the first Biennial Report of the National Plan for Search, Truth and Justice (PNBVJ) on Wednesday. The document summarizes the progress made by this public policy initiative established in 2023, officially confirming the number of 1,469 victims of forced disappearance and presenting key tools, including a public georeferenced map of their trajectories.

The presentation took place at La Moneda, attended by Justice and Human Rights Minister Jaime Gajardo, Undersecretary Daniela Quintanilla, the Director of the National Institute of Human Rights, Yerko Ljubetic, and representatives from family associations. The Plan aims to clarify the fate of the victims, ensure access to information for their families, and implement reparative actions and guarantees against recurrence.

State Acknowledges Its Historical Responsibility

The event was marked by the recognition of the state’s historical debt. President Boric emphasized that, thanks to the report, he was able to «confirm all the actions taken and the consolidation of this unprecedented policy for the State of Chile.»

Minister Jaime Gajardo noted that this policy marks a change in how the country assumes its commitment to the families.

«The National Search Plan is an ethical imperative for our country. It was agents of the state who made thousands of compatriots disappear, and it is the state’s obligation to search for them and establish their whereabouts,» he stated.

He added that the delivery of this report «synthesizes the work of implementation and reflects an effort that, for the first time, the State of Chile is undertaking in a comprehensive, systematic, and permanent manner.»

Significant Milestones of the National Search Plan: From the Unique List to Ground Investigations

The report details specific advancements achieved since the Plan’s implementation. The most noteworthy include:

Official and Public List: For the first time, a unique list of 1,469 cases of disappeared and politically executed individuals without the return of their bodies has been consolidated on a state website (plannacionaldebusqueda.cl).

This figure represents nearly half of the victims who have yet to be found, as it is estimated that there were more than 3,200 cases during Augusto Pinochet’s civil-military dictatorship (1973-1990), with around 1,500 still missing.

Georeferenced Map of Trajectories: A public map has been created, drawing from judicial files and administrative records.

This tool allows tracking the routes of the victims, including the places where they were detained, transferred, tortured, or imprisoned until their trail goes cold.

Field Investigations: A total of 157 investigations have been conducted in emblematic locations such as Pisagua, the former Colonia Dignidad, Lonquén, and Playa Ancha, many of which involved direct participation from families.

Institutionality and Legal Framework: The National Memory Archive was established, and a law was promulgated that defines the legal status of «missing due to forced disappearance,» a crucial legal status for families.

Families’ Commitment: «We Will Keep Searching Until We Find Them»

The process has been collaborative, with Minister Gajardo highlighting the coordination among various institutions such as Sernageomin, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Legal Medical Service for the investigations.

Gaby Rivera, president of the Association of Relatives of the Disappeared and Monitoring Committee of the Plan, expressed appreciation for the progress but reminded of the state’s responsibility.

«We appreciate this progress, but we are clear that it was the State of Chile that made our relatives disappear; therefore, it is the State that must take responsibility for the search,» she stated.

«We will continue searching until we find them because society as a whole must take charge of what forced disappearance means in this country,» she asserted in comments reported by Diario U. de Chile.

Previously, in August, on the Day of Victims of Forced Disappearances, the delivery of «Qualification Files» to nearly 150 families had already been advanced—documents compiling personal information, testimonies, and reports on their loved ones.

On that occasion, Alicia Lira, president of the Association of Families of Politically Executed Persons (AFEP), appreciated the gesture, stating that «the actions taken by this Government represent a reparative act not only to the families but to this society that so greatly needs comprehensive reparation.»

A Long-Term Plan with Challenges Ahead

The National Plan for Search, Truth, and Justice was formalized in 2023 through a decree signed by President Boric, who asserted at that time: «I have the conviction that democracy is memory and future, and they cannot exist without each other.»

It was designed as a permanent state policy, with governance and budget allocated, to be implemented and respected by any future government.

Its central objective is to «clarify the circumstances of disappearance and/or death» of the victims, ensuring families access to information and their participation, while implementing reparative measures and guarantees against repetition.

The report presented on December 10 to the head of state will be available for the entire citizenry and aims to consolidate the Plan as an ongoing state policy with permanent projection and active involvement from human rights organizations.

La entrada 1,469 Cases of Forced Disappearances Documented in Official National Search Plan Report: Initial Findings Outline Victims’ Trails se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.