El Ciudadano
Original article: “Anulación del Decreto Ley de Amnistía y el levantamiento del secreto Valech”: Deudas pendientes que advierte director de Amnistía en Chile
Amnesty International: Chile Records Less Than 2% Convictions for 11,506 Human Rights Violations from Social Outburst, and Victim Reparations Remain an Unmet Obligation
Amnesty International Releases Its Annual Report 2025-2026:
During an event on the morning of April 21, Rodrigo Bustos Bottai, the director of Amnesty International Chile, participated in a panel discussion for the presentation of the Annual Report 2025-2026, titled “The State of Human Rights Worldwide,” noting a grim reality: humanity is not facing a minor crisis but a systematic assault on everything built over the last eight decades.
The report documents egregious violations by governments and business actors, while also highlighting collective resistance actions that keep hope alive.
Bustos Bottai pointed out that powerful governments and anti-rights movements are advancing in a coordinated manner with fewer repercussions, criticizing the Trump administration for its authoritarian and discriminatory practices, and denouncing genocide in Gaza, alongside crimes in Ukraine, Myanmar, the DRC, and Sudan, among other severe crises.
On a national level, the report reveals significant debts regarding truth, justice, and reparative measures for the human rights violations from the social upheaval (with less than 2% resulting in convictions), criticizing the lack of a rights-based migration policy, and warning of police impunity.
Moreover, the cancellation of the Amnesty Law and the lifting of Valech secrecy were mentioned as part of the unresolved debts persisting in Chile.
Despite progress made at memorial sites, Bustos Bottai urged President Kast, who had just taken office, not to reverse advancements, warning that his organization would oppose any pardons for agents convicted of human rights violations.
Below is the full speech – Amnesty International:
Full Speech by Rodrigo Bustos Bottai for the Presentation of the Annual Report 2025-2026 of Amnesty International, “The State of Human Rights in the World”
Good morning to everyone present. I embrace the greetings and thank the authorities here, representatives from civil society organizations, human rights institutions, embassies, and international agencies, as well as the victims of human rights violations, both past and present, and all activists from Amnesty International Chile and all who join us today, because you understand that the world is at a critical juncture: we are not in a «difficult period» anymore.
This is the precise moment when everything built up over the last 80 years is being attacked at its foundations.
Today, Amnesty International publishes globally our report on the state of human rights in the world for 2025. It documents the various abuses and injustices that people endure globally, while simultaneously spotlighting the collective resistance actions that ignite and sustain hope for the present and future of humanity. We are here not to simply repeat statistics, but because those figures have faces, names, and stories.
Our report confirms that 2025 was marked by blatant violations and breaches of international law, perpetrated by both governments and business entities, indicating that we are no longer facing a confined erosion of the system, but rather a deep and structural deterioration.
Today, powerful governments and anti-rights movements are not only advancing but are doing so in a markedly coordinated, well-funded manner with increasingly fewer consequences.
This is exacerbated by the scandalously passive attitude displayed by many governments, including the majority of European states, towards the assaults launched by the United States, Israel, and other powerful states against multilateralism, international law, and human rights safeguards.
We are well aware of the limitations of the United Nations system, but what alternative do authoritarian governments provide? We have seen the alternatives presented by those who oppose democracy, diplomacy, dialogue, and the protection of rights.
The alternative they present involves continuing the genocide being carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people of Gaza, despite the so-called “ceasefire”; escalating the crimes against humanity committed by Russia in Ukraine; granting total freedom to the United States to execute extrajudicial, extraterritorial killings and illegal attacks against Venezuela and Iran while threatening to seize Greenland. It means persisting with the horrific crimes in Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan. The alternative they endorse is the utilization of technology for authoritarian practices.
Those anti-rights alternatives turn their backs on racial and gender justice, mock women’s rights, declare civil society an enemy, and reject international solidarity. This predatory alternative world silences dissent, represses protests, promotes violent and dehumanizing rhetoric, and facilitates hate crimes.
Notably, the actions taken by President Trump during his second term stand out. Amnesty International has documented how the escalation of authoritarian practices under the Trump administration, which includes closing the civil society space and undermining the rule of law, is eroding human rights in the United States and elsewhere.
Trump’s disregard for multilateralism, along with his discriminatory narratives and practices, cannot serve as a model for the path our country, the region, and the world should take. The alternative presented by those defending that model is, in simple terms, a world devoid of any type of moral compass or humanity.
In our country, the Amnesty International Annual Report begins its chapter on Chile by highlighting the significant debts concerning truth, justice, and respect for human rights violations committed during the social upheaval, the most severe since the return to democracy. From the 11,506 reports of human rights violations, less than 2% have resulted in convictions.
In October, the ongoing issues regarding access to and quality of care for users of the Support and Care Plan for Victims of Ocular Trauma (PACTO) were reported. We must say it loud and clear: President Boric’s government has failed to implement a comprehensive reparative policy for the victims of human rights violations committed during the social upheaval. This was not just a commitment of his government program; it was and remains an ethical and legal obligation of the State of Chile.
In January of this year, we accompanied Gustavo Gatica for the verdict reading in the trial against former Carabinero officer Claudio Crespo, who was acquitted despite being proven to be responsible for Gatica’s blindness. Among other arguments, this verdict was also due to the application of the Naín Retamal Law which, as we have stated countless times, offers more protection to police personnel than to victims, clearly a shield for cases of excess and human rights violations.
Regarding crimes from the dictatorship, the National Search Plan for victims of forced disappearance has progressed, and it is essential that it becomes a state policy that does not depend on the current government.
There are other urgent debts, such as the cancellation of the Amnesty Law, the lifting of Valech secrecy, alongside the implementation of a permanent qualification process, a respectful project that offers real solutions for groups of former political prisoners and for the Health Care and Reparation Program (PRAIS).
Under President Boric’s administration, there has also been progress in the transfer of 33 memorial sites across the country, nearly half of those declared since the end of the dictatorship. Undoubtedly a significant step forward. Nevertheless, in 2025, funding issues persisted, and the executive presented a bill aimed at ensuring its permanent functioning, but processing has been exceedingly slow.
We stated this last year before the former government authorities, and we reiterate it today before the current authorities. A National Policy on Memory and Heritage must be established. Memorial sites and education on human rights play a fundamental role in keeping the memory alive of the atrocities committed in our country. In the face of the advances of denialism, it is the only way to prevent history from repeating.
I would like to greet Gaby Rivera Sánchez, president of the Association of Families of Detained Disappeared Persons, and Alicia Lira Matus, president of the Association of Families of Executed Political Parties. Along with them, we acknowledge all representatives of groups fighting for the aforementioned debts who are joining us today. We thank them for their example and presence.
Regarding the rights of girls, women, and gender-diverse individuals, in 2025, there were 444 completed, attempted, or frustrated femicides reported. Additionally, from 118,000 police reports of domestic violence and 18,000 for sexual offenses, 79% of the victims were women.
A total of 14,000 girls were victims of crimes against their life or physical integrity, of which 41% were cases of rape and sexual crimes, with 3,600 experiencing domestic violence. These figures are horrifying, and the State must do everything in its power to eradicate violence against girls and women.
In terms of migration, the report emphasizes that our country still lacks a human rights-based migration policy. In 2025, we witnessed the use of dehumanizing language against migrants and refugees, particularly during the presidential and parliamentary campaign. Populist rhetoric abounded for complex problems that cannot be solved with mere announcements for show. In Congress, there are ongoing discussions about several bills criminalizing migration.
Furthermore, the legitimate demand for increased security has been prevalent in recent years. In this regard, we want to reiterate one key point: security and human rights do not oppose each other. They are both fundamental and complementary elements of a rule of law.
Viewing them as opposing forces impoverishes the perspective and leads to the false dilemma of having to choose. No one could dispute the importance of secure living conditions or the need to combat crime. Hence, it is essential to care for and strengthen police forces.
But once again, this care must not translate into a shield against accountability, transparency, and responsibility. We can all agree that a police system that does not answer for its illegitimate actions does not strengthen but undermines its legitimacy. This report reiterates the need for a comprehensive reform of our police forces that is not against them but aims for them to fulfill their role to the best of their abilities and with full respect for fundamental rights.
In terms of security, there are various measures that raise ourconcern. One of these is that the purchase and use of less-lethal weapons still lack adequate regulation and transparency. Additionally, measures such as states of emergency, which are inherently temporary, have been made permanent.
No territory will resolve its security issues by suspending rights. Or by advocating for the military to perform police duties for which they are not trained. We have also observed that punitive policies have increased the prison population exponentially in recent years without generating real reintegration policies.
However, Amnesty International does not just remain at the level of words. Just as we have done before, we are fully willing to collaborate to advance in these areas, and we will be making concrete proposals, for instance, regarding improvements in the training of Carabineros personnel in Chile.
The national situation reflects various phenomena that demand our urgent attention.
We are convinced that a set of discourses and practices fuel a culture of violence, including the stigmatization of vulnerable communities, social tolerance of gender-based violence, the glorification of figures associated with hateful rhetoric, and the perpetuation of stereotypes that criminalize poverty, among others.
The media, authorities, and society as a whole, meaning each one of us here, have a crucial role in confronting this.
This culture of violence affects society as a whole and is evident in the educational sphere as well. School violence does not originate in educational establishments; it is reflective of an environment that normalizes it.
Children experience it in their homes, through media, social networks, and various spaces, receiving the same message: that violence is a valid mechanism to achieve goals. Therefore, once again, we urge authorities not to tackle complex issues with simplistic solutions that fail to address the root of the problems.
Since March 11, President Kast has taken office, and Amnesty International is ready to collaborate with this government, as it has with all prior administrations. Meanwhile, as always, we will remain vigilant, documenting, denouncing, and mobilizing citizens for the unwavering defense of human rights.
We must state that early on, we have observed alarming signals: on March 12, pardons were announced for state agents convicted of egregious crimes during the social upheaval.
If carried out, these pardons would signify a dire message of impunity, deeply harmful to the country. To President Kast and Congress, we remind you that a change in authorities does not permit arbitrary backtracking.
For this reason, we will not stand idly by in the face of measures that threaten the rights of women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, or the environment.
Once again, we often face a false dilemma. It is either development or environmental protection. This is not the case. Advancing towards higher environmental standards is not optional. It is an obligation of states, as it directly benefits the lives and health of individuals.
In this context, we also urge Congress to progress with the legislation to protect human rights defenders, environmental advocates, and territorial rights. Let’s not forget, Latin America is the most dangerous region for these defenders.
But our Annual Report 2025-2026 brings not only bad news. There have also been advancements and examples of solidarity. It is important today to highlight some of these, because in dark times, we must appreciate the examples of those who continue to fight for rights or stand with the oppressed.
Thus, we have felt moved by the solidarity of neighbors in Minneapolis in response to the brutal actions of ICE, particularly against migrants.
We have valued international justice as Rodrigo Duterte, former president of the Philippines, was surrendered to the International Criminal Court following an arrest warrant issued against him for crimes against humanity.
At COP30, we witnessed that, despite many deficiencies, the pressure from civil society and unions aided in promoting the adoption of a just transition mechanism to protect communities and workers as they move toward clean energy and a climate-resilient future.
Protests from Generation Z spread across a dozen nations, including Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia, and Togo.
In 2025, massive demonstrations against the genocide perpetrated by Israel spread worldwide, and human rights defenders, parliament members, activists, and individuals from over 40 countries organized flotillas to show their solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza.
In this regard, we again raise our voice. No more illegal occupation. No more apartheid. The genocide must end, and the perpetrators must be held accountable before international justice and humanity.
There are many reasons to keep hope alive. Humanity is resisting and making progress. We have resisted. We must resist. And we will resist. Because, as we stated at the outset, we are no longer in a «difficult period.» We are at a critical moment when everything built in the last 80 years is at risk of collapse.
We, the people, and each one of us must rise to the occasion. We must collectively resist, raise our voices, and halt the threats and setbacks. Only through collective effort, only by keeping hope alive and active, utilizing all our creativity, determination, and resilience, can we achieve these urgent changes.
In the words of writer and activist Rebecca Solnit, «hopelessness is a luxury we cannot afford.»
May this report not be merely a diagnosis and documentation of a dark moment for humanity. May it serve as a turning point. A reminder of what is at stake and what we can still protect.
Humanity must prevail!
That is the call of Amnesty International.
La entrada Cancellation of the Amnesty Law and Lifting of Valech Secrecy: Outstanding Debts Highlighted by Amnesty International Director in Chile se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
🔥 Ver noticia completa en ElCiudadano.cl 🔥
