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Original article: “Las llamas ya no son llamas”: Valparaíso recuerda a Rodrigo Rojas De Negri a 40 años de su asesinato

Valparaíso Commemorates Rodrigo Rojas De Negri 40 Years After His Assassination: «The Flames Are No Longer Flames»

On Monday, July 6, marking the date of Rojas’ death from the incendiary attack in 1986, neighbors from Cerro Mariposas, students, and parents from the Pablo Neruda School will hold a heartfelt tribute to the photographer at the front of the school, featuring participation from his mother, Verónica De Negri. Rodrigo was born in Valparaíso, grew up in Cerro Bellavista, and studied at that school from 1973 to 1976. The institution keeps his legacy alive: both its student center and musical ensemble bear the name of Rodrigo Rojas.

In 2019, the Colectivo Musa unveiled a mosaic that has become part of the urban landscape of Cerro Bellavista. It depicts the image of photographer Rodrigo Rojas de Negri, portrayed with his iconic diamond-patterned vest and a passionate heart. At the suggestion of his mother, Verónica De Negri, the mosaic was installed at the front of the Pablo Neruda School, where Rodrigo attended as a child.

In the same memorial space, residents from Cerro Mariposas, along with students and directors from the General Committee of Mothers, Fathers, Guardians, and Caregivers (CGMPAC) at the Pablo Neruda School, will pay tribute to Rodrigo Rojas this Monday, July 6 at 6:30 PM (Ferrari 692). The date is not random: on this same day in 1986, the photographer died after four days of agony caused by an incendiary attack from a military patrol during the national strike against the dictatorship on July 2 and 3 of that year.

The event, which is open to the community and includes an open microphone, will honor the presence of Rodrigo’s mother, Verónica De Negri, a symbol of the search for truth, justice, and reparation regarding her son’s case. Additionally, the iconic song “Para seguir viviendo” will be performed, composed by Víctor Tapia and José Miguel Márquez, recorded by Illapu, and dedicated to Rodrigo. The title of the neighborhood tribute in Valparaíso, “The Flames Are No Longer Flames,” is derived from the song’s lyrics. The story behind the song is detailed in this chronicle.

Rodrigo’s Legacy at the School

One of the aims of the tribute is to highlight Rodrigo Rojas De Negri’s Valparaíso origins. He was born in the Naval Hospital of Valparaíso, grew up in a house on Chopin Street 206 in Cerro Bellavista with his maternal family, and experienced the coup d’état in that home at the age of six. From 1973 to 1976, he studied at the Colegio República de Bolivia, which was later renamed Pablo Neruda.

Since 2019, in order to honor his legacy, the student center at the Pablo Neruda School has been named after Rodrigo Rojas, and a logo was created featuring him holding a camera. The musical ensemble of the institution also carries the name of its former student, following a long struggle from the school community against the school authorities who wanted to name the band after Pablo Neruda.

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