Tracing collective memory: Chilean truth commissions and memorial sites

Abstract

This article takes a closer look at the master narratives of the Chilean truth commissions and how these are contested and negotiated by social actors demanding truth and justice. Over time these actors have created new spaces for their narratives about the military dictatorship (1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980)(1981)(1982)(1983)(1984)(1985)(1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990), broadening the perspectives on the past in the public space. The process of contestation and negotiation can be traced on the local level in the creation of a memorial site on the grounds of a former detention and torture centre, Villa Grimaldi, which led to fierce debates on what should be remembered, and how. Through the ongoing process of negotiation and contestation and social action the collective memory of the dictatorship in Chilean society has become 'thicker'.

Ephemeral and Ludic Strategies of Remembering in the Streets: A Springboard for Public Memory in Chile

“…The process of seeking truth and the construction of a common narrative of the difficult past has been disputed by right‐wing organizations that have denied or justified the crimes, as well as by the left, which has called for the expansion of the notion of victimhood and for locating the still‐unknown bodies of those who were “disappeared” ( los desaparecidos ). Despite these disputes, public memory that centers on individual human rights violations is still dominant 27 years after the end of military rule, “collective memory of the dictatorship has become ‘thicker,’” which refers to a process that considers multiple actors and levels (Klep :264). However, this thicker dominant memory has remained focused on recognition of the “innocent” or depoliticized victims of human rights crimes and its related judicial processes (Barrientos ).…”

“…This master narrative has been framed through the three Chilean Truth Commissions (1991, 2004, and 2011); consequently, not only authorities, but also human rights organizations, and those who gave their testimonies, have been part of this process. Although this narrative has changed significantly since the beginning of the transition, it has kept the main focus on the victims and their relatives, and on the ultimate need for reconciliation (Klep ).…”

Tell me your story about the Chilean dictatorship: When doing memory is taking positions

“…These reports have played a key role in acknowledging the victims of State violence, but have not put an end to the memory struggles; rather, they have produced new fields of struggle, because they were interpreted very differently by diverse actors of society, such as the armed forces, families of the victims, right-wing and left-wing groups. Moreover, both reports left many stories untold (Hiner, 2009; Klep, 2012; Winn, 2014), excluding certain ways of political participation that preceded repression (e.g. women’s) and important practices of State terrorism (such as raids in poor neighborhoods).…”

“…A prolific area of research has focused on memory sites, addressing the relation between memory, space and materiality (Andermann, 2012). This kind of work has studied versions of the past transmitted and constructed in memory sites (Klep, 2012; Piper et al, 2017; Violi, 2012), the ideological segregation of memorials in the city (Aguilera, 2015) and the empathic experiences that take place when visiting memorials (Hite, 2016).…”

Los Excombatientes Y La Memoria: Tensiones Y Retos De La Memoria Colectiva Construida Por Las Farc en El Posconflicto Colombiano

“…Si la Comisión de la Verdad es capaz en su ejercicio de incluir y visibilizar las distintas versiones de lo que pasó sin tratar de imponer una "verdad única", los distintos actores se sentirán representados allí. Si esto no sucede, podemos esperar algo similar a lo que observó Klep (2012) en Chile, donde los resultados de las comisiones de la verdad fueron contestados y negociados ampliamente por actores sociales en el espacio público.…”