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El Ciudadano

Original article: Villa Baviera y su apoyo Kast: «Es la prueba de que su legado no es solo un museo del horror, sino una postura política activa»

Villa Baviera’s Political Endorsement of Kast: A Sign of Active Political Involvement Beyond a Museum of Horror

In recent days, the Corporation for the Promotion and Defense of People’s Rights (Codepu) shared a photograph on social media showing a sign supporting the far-right candidate José Kast, strategically placed at the entrance of Villa Baviera.

“The former Colonia Dignidad, a haven for extreme-right Germans who actively collaborated with the dictatorship and the notorious National Intelligence Directorate (DINA), is urging votes for the far-right José Antonio Kast,” Codepu remarked.

It is worth noting that the Kast family originally came from Bavaria, Germany, to Chile, and their meat processing and restaurant business is named Bavaria, which is another way to refer to Baviera.

Museum of Horror

Álvaro Ramis, rector of the University of Humanism Christian in Chile, commented on this news in a column published by Crónica Digital.

He pointed out that the sign at the entrance is “much more than an electoral notice. It serves as a physical reminder that the wounds of Colonia Dignidad remain unhealed, but instead politicized. It is evidence that its legacy is not merely a museum of horror, but an active political stance in the present.”

“And above all, it is a warning: when a candidate receives explicit support from the heirs of one of the most sinister episodes of impunity in Chile, we are not merely discussing political preferences. We are witnessing how distorted memory is transformed into a tool for winning elections,” the academic added in his column. Read the full column HERE

It is important to remember that the State is currently undergoing a process to expropriate 116 of the 4,800 hectares of the site to establish a Site of Memory.

In total, it’s estimated that 122 ‘colonists’ will have to sell part of their property to the State, including areas where their homes are located. However, the process has faced significant challenges: this week, a group of human rights and victims organizations expressed their “deep concern” regarding delays in fulfilling commitments made for the expropriation of the lands.

El Ciudadano

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