El Ciudadano
Original article: Trabajadores de Comisión Verdad y Niñez acusan al Gobierno de Kast intervenir en su autonomía y poner en peligro el cumplimiento de su mandato legal
Workers of Truth and Childhood Commission Accuse Kast Government of Interfering with Autonomy, Threatening Legal Mandate Compliance
In a public statement, workers from the Truth and Childhood Commission accused the Kast Government of directly interfering with their autonomy, stating that this situation not only jeopardizes compliance with the Commission’s legal mandate but also is potentially revictimizing in nature.
In their publication, the officials emphasized that the Truth and Childhood Commission was established to clarify severe and systematic violations of human rights suffered by children and adolescents under state custody from 1979 to 2024.
«This is neither a symbolic nor discretionary mandate: it stems directly from international obligations assumed by Chile, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s report (2018), and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling in the Adolescent Reclusion case vs. Chile, which is currently under international supervision,» they argued.
To fulfill this mission, the workers added, the Commission «must complete its task within a limited timeframe, allowing only this year for testimonial hearings.»
They warned that the instability and lack of visibility regarding the Commission’s operation, the reduction of its territorial capacities, and especially the direct intervention by the Executive Power in its autonomy create a scenario that not only endangers compliance with the mandate but also is potentially revictimizing.
In this context, they stated, «it is unacceptable to invite victims to speak and then subject those facilitating the process to uncertainty, political control, and structural weakening.»
They highlighted that «a particularly serious signal is the reduction of listening teams in the regions,» reminding that «the right to truth is inseparable from the principle of equality and non-discrimination.»
«Diminishing the Commission’s territorial presence essentially excludes victims and survivors from remote, rural, and peripheral areas, especially given that there is no budgetary constraint on the Commission; this decision reflects a reductionist intention by the Executive,» they emphasized.
Violation of Autonomy
An additional concern is the substantial violation of the Commission’s autonomy, which is essential for any truth commission according to international standards.
«That the commissioners cannot determine their executive leadership, that the Executive decides which professionals continue and under what conditions, and that operations are subject to monthly extensions based on administrative evaluation is not a management issue: it is a form of control that threatens the independence of the process and the integrity of its outcomes,» they argued.
They added that «the Commission’s task necessarily involves examining structural responsibilities that span decades and various political governments, involving state institutions, collaborating agencies, foundations, private organizations, police forces, and other actors — including the Church — that have participated in childhood politics and have received public resources.»
«No historical truth can emerge under political tutelage,» the workers emphasized, reiterating that the Truth and Childhood Commission «is currently one of the few existing institutional tools to address the historical debt to those who were children under state care.»
«Its dismantling and the obstacles posed by the Executive send an unequivocal signal of non-compliance with the commitments made by Chile to the international community,» they questioned, reaffirming their commitment «to the victims, to organizations of survivors and alumni of the system, and to all those who have fought for years for the truth to be recognized by the State.»
«The Commission exists for them and to serve them, which is why we offer our support to victims and survivors, and demand that the State establish the necessary conditions to fulfill the mandate, highlight reparation guarantees, properly safeguard information, and create the necessary conditions for a serious, autonomous, and respectful process aimed at establishing historical truth, memory, and prevention of recurrence,» they underscored.
Call to Chilean Society
Finally, the declaration from the Commission workers calls on «human rights organizations, political parties, the National Congress, and democratic institutions to respond clearly and urgently. Defending the autonomy and strengthening of the Truth and Childhood Commission is defending the right to truth, memory, and dignity for thousands of individuals.«
«Truth is a human right for vulnerable children. The State of Chile has an unrenounceable obligation to guarantee it,» the declaration concludes, which was signed by professionals involved in the testimonial listening process and territorial coordination of the Commission, «committed to the full compliance of its mandate and the ethical safeguarding of those who have entrusted this process to us.»
The Truth and Childhood Commission, created by President Gabriel Boric, represents an unprecedented initiative in Chile and Latin America to listen, recognize, and generate recommendations for comprehensive reparations and prevention of recurrence.
Its objective is to collect testimonies from victims of violations in SENAME centers, juvenile justice facilities, or private residences between 1979 and 2021. Additionally, family members of deceased victims can provide testimonies about their personal situations.
Testimonies are received in person, virtually, or in writing, ensuring confidentiality, respect, and professional support. Those wishing to participate can schedule an appointment at www.comisionverdadniñez.gob.cl.
The Citizen
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