Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, married, father of 5, architect, and member of the Communist Party, left his office at Calle Mallinkrodt 70, in the Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago, at 5:15 PM on July 27, 1976, heading to the office of some engineers located on Agustinas, between Estado and San Antonio.

The victim made the trip in his light blue 1970 Chevy, license plate DY-821 from Las Condes. However, he did not arrive at the aforementioned appointment. He also did not attend the Musalem Construction Company, where he was due to go later.

His office had been under surveillance since the 23rd of that month by two individuals traveling in a red Ford Falcon with a black roof.

His spouse, Carmen Whipple Ascui, upon realizing that the victim had not returned home as was his daily custom, decided to go to the office to find out what might have happened. She arrived there around 11:30 PM.

Upon entering, she observed that the entire place was in disarray, with clear evidence that it had been searched thoroughly, and she found numerous objects and furniture destroyed. She also realized that those responsible for the raid had stolen checks, money, folders, personal documents, and Alejandro Rodríguez's address book.

It is necessary to mention that on the 23rd of the same month, Clara Canteros Torres and Eduardo Canteros Prado were kidnapped. The latter, in addition to having party ties as a member of the Communist Party, also maintained professional contacts with the victim, as Canteros Prado was a civil engineer and Rodríguez Urzúa was an architect.

Furthermore, as noted, from the very day the former was detained, there was surveillance at the latter's office.

When consulted, the victim's secretary confirmed his departure at 5:15 PM to the indicated destinations; she also indicated that she left the premises around 7:00 PM without anything abnormal occurring, except that two unknown subjects had asked at the office, around 5:00 PM, for a Mr. González.

These individuals continued to monitor the house during the days following the victim's kidnapping.

The vehicle he was driving on the day of his detention was never located.

About 15 days after Alejandro Rodríguez's disappearance, his wife was informed by a neighbor, who had connections with Carabineros personnel, that her husband was alive and was being held at the "4 Alamos" camp.

This situation of information sharing continued until June 1977, when the Carabineros officer wanted to inform Carmen Whipple directly. Thus, she met with Carabineros Captain Voltaire Opazo Ibáñez, who summoned her to his office located at the 6th Carabineros Precinct.

They interviewed, and he confirmed the information provided, even noting that he had seen his car until December 1976 and that he knew nothing more afterward because they dismantled the Cuatro Alamos facility and transferred the people.

He also indicated that the charges against her husband were not that serious, but that since he had not yet been released, he would put her in contact with another person. That was how he instructed her to present herself to Carabineros Captain Rubén Aracena González.

Aracena received her at the Diego Portales building, office 1002, on August 2, 1977. In the meeting, the officer, in a tense dialogue, communicated to her that his function was to keep the President of the Republic informed of all background information regarding political prisoners, as he had all the information on the matter.

Finally, he gave her to understand that her husband could be alive, as he even knew when a prisoner "ceased to exist." After the interview, which lasted an hour, Mrs. Whipple went to Captain Opazo and asked him to tell Captain Aracena that he had seen her husband at Cuatro Alamos; at this, he laughed and told her: "If he knows it as well as I do, well, we saw your husband together, since we both worked at 4 Alamos."

Years later, in 1990, his spouse Carmen Whipple passed away after a painful illness.

To date, the fate of Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa at the hands of his captors remains unknown.

JUDICIAL AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

On July 28, 1976, a Writ of Amparo (Habeas Corpus) was filed on behalf of Alejandro Rodríguez before the Santiago Court of Appeals under case number 656-76. On August 6, 1976, the writ was rejected based on the report from the Minister of the Interior stating that the victim was not being held by order of his ministry. The records were sent to the corresponding Criminal Court.

On September 15, 1976, a new Writ of Amparo was filed, this time before the Court Martial, which was registered under number 366-76. Like the previous one, it was rejected on October 7, 1976, based on the report provided by the Ministry of the Interior stating that the victim was not being held by order of that Secretariat; the 2nd Military Court of Santiago reported the same.

Therefore, it was resolved to send the records to the 3rd Criminal Court of Santiago.

On August 2, 1976, his spouse filed a criminal complaint for kidnapping and robbery with violence against Alejandro Rodríguez before the 3rd Criminal Court of the Capital, case number 122.010.

Various documents from international professional organizations were presented to the Tribunal, expressing their concern to the Government of Chile regarding the disappearance of the victim.

Derived from the Writ of Amparo before the Court of Appeals, a summary proceeding for the alleged disappearance of the victim was initiated by official letter in the 1st Criminal Court, case number 108.609, on August 17, 1976. This case was consolidated with case 122.010 processed in the 3rd Criminal Court.

Furthermore, due to a complaint filed by the victim's spouse before the 9th Carabineros Precinct on July 29, 1976 (Report No. 665), case number 122.329 for the alleged disappearance of Alejandro Rodríguez was initiated in the 3rd Criminal Court of Santiago. This case was initiated on September 8, 1976. On October 26, it was consolidated with case number 122.010 of the same Tribunal.

At the end of November, the Judge of the 1st Criminal Court of Santiago, who was investigating case number 7.438-9 for the kidnapping of Clara Canteros Torres and Eduardo Canteros Prado, requested to review the case file for the kidnapping of Alejandro Rodríguez from the 3rd Court.

In June 1977, the Minister of the Interior, Army General Raúl Benavides, informed the Tribunal that the victim had not been detained by order of that Secretariat, adding that the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA) communicated that it had no information on the person inquired about.

During that same month, the plaintiff brought to the Judge's attention an article from "Qué Pasa" magazine from August 1976, which points out that a significant number of Communist Party leaders had gone underground; among those mentioned is the name of Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa.

All the names mentioned in the aforementioned article are of communist militants who were detained and forcibly disappeared by the DINA and the Joint Antisubversive Command during 1976.

In August 1977, the Tribunal was informed that Investigations (police) officials had summoned the spouse to Headquarters to consult her regarding a letter sent by relatives of the forcibly disappeared to the Head of the Military Junta, General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte.

At the end of November 1977, the Investigations Police sent the Judge the information collected in the investigation carried out to locate the victim's whereabouts, in which it is stated that the efforts made have not yielded a positive result.

On March 15, 1979, the National Director of the Social Communication Division (DINACOS) sent the judge public statements issued by that department, in which it reports on operations carried out by security services that discovered 32 "mailbox houses" (safe houses) of the Communist Party and the detention of the lawyer for the Vicariate of Solidarity, Hernán Montealegre K., who was linked to those events at that time.

On June 12, 1979, the processing of the case continued under the Extraordinary Visitation of the Minister of the Court of Appeals, Servando Jordán López, who had been appointed to investigate cases of the forcibly disappeared in the city of Santiago.

During the month of July, various public agencies and authorities informed the Visiting Minister that they had no information on the victim.

On July 27, 1979, faced with the Minister's disbelief regarding the political motive for the victim's disappearance, his wife communicated the information provided by the Carabineros Captains regarding the fact that her husband was alive and in "4 Alamos."

On August 16, both officers appeared and denied all the information provided by Mrs. Whipple.

On September 21, Minister Servando Jordán declared the summary closed. On the 26th of the same month, the resolution was appealed. After presenting the reasons for the appeal, on December 11, the Court of Appeals deemed the investigation of the facts incomplete, thus revoking the resolution and decreeing a series of measures regarding summons to testify and official letters to police agencies.

However, once these were fulfilled, the Minister decreed the closure of the summary on March 8, 1980, as the investigation, according to him, was exhausted.

On November 28, the Court of Appeals confirmed the resolution.

Minister Jordán resolved on July 16, 1981, to temporarily dismiss the case as the commission of a crime had not been proven. On August 27, 1981, the Court of Appeals approved the resolution of the Visiting Minister.

Along with the judicial actions, his family carried out multiple administrative actions and filed complaints with national and international organizations; the Architects' Association also conducted inquiries without having managed to establish the fate of Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa.

Source: Vicariate of Solidarity

Alejandro, my father, was born in '27 in Santiago; he grew up in the Brasil neighborhood with his parents, being the youngest of three brothers.

He was an excellent reader and studied at the Liceo Amunátegui, a period during which he became a communist. While in school, he also met my mother, Carmen, and they dated for seven years. They married in '50, when he was about to finish his architecture degree at the University of Chile, and they had five children.

As an architect, he taught and was passionate about his work; we moved to live in Concepción, where he designed and built the "Casa del Arte" for the University of Concepción, and he was one of the founders of the architecture program at the UTE in that city. He had an intense political and professional life; he was president of the Architects' Association of Concepción and was elected councilman.

He liked to eat conger eel chowder and cultivated a taste for foods with intense flavors, which my mother cooked. They were an affectionate couple; I remember them giving each other gifts and leaving clues with drawings to find them in some corner of the house...

He was a solid and warm man, an affectionate father; in Santiago, he would take us to the movies on Sundays, and in Concepción, we would go for weekend outings to the Puente Tres of the Bio Bio.

He returned to Santiago after being invited by President Allende to take charge of CORHABIT. After the Coup, he resigned from his position, and over time, he set up an architecture office.

Together with my mother, they built our house in Isla Negra, which we managed to enjoy as a family. One afternoon, he left his office, and from that date, we stopped seeing him.

He was Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, forcibly disappeared on July 27, 1976. I am his daughter, María Soledad Rodríguez, and I remember him. Remember him, remind others of him.

Technical sheet

To create this micro-biography, María Soledad Rodríguez was interviewed; she recorded this radio capsule in December 2014 at the studios of Radio Universidad de Chile, where it was subsequently mixed and broadcast.

Source: latidosdelamemoria.cl, undated

The Supreme Court sentenced 14 agents of the dissolved National Intelligence Directorate (DINA) for their responsibility in the crimes of aggravated kidnapping of Luis Emilio Recabarren González, Manuel Guillermo Recabarren González, Nalvia Rosa Mena Alvarado, Manuel Segundo Recabarren Rojas, Clara Elena Canteros Torres, Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, Daniel Palma Robledo, Carlos Enrique Godoy Lagarrigue, Iván Sergio Insunza Bascuñán, José Eduardo Santander Miranda, Mario Jesús Juica Vega, Víctor Hugo Morales Mazuela, Carlos Mario Vizcarra Cofré, Miguel Nazal Quiroz, Juan Aurelio Villarroel Zárate, and Julio Roberto Vega Vega; and the aggravated homicide of Eduardo Canteros Prado. The crimes were committed between April and August 1976, in the province of Santiago.

In a unanimous ruling (case number 71.900-2020), the Second Chamber of the highest court—composed of ministers Manuel Antonio Valderrama, Jorge Dahm, María Cristina Gajardo, María Soledad Melo, and Eliana Quezada—revoked the sentence issued by the Eighth Chamber of the Santiago Court of Appeals in April 2020, which applied the "half-prescription" (gradual statute of limitations) to the accused.

In a replacement sentence, the Supreme Court sentenced former DINA leaders and former Army officers Pedro Octavio Espinoza Bravo and Jorge Claudio Andrade Gómez to 15 years and one day in prison as authors of 16 counts of aggravated kidnapping and 10 years and one day as authors of one count of aggravated homicide.

Meanwhile, Rolf Arnold Wenderoth Pozo was sentenced to two terms of 10 years and one day in prison as the author of three counts of aggravated kidnapping and one count of aggravated homicide; Juan Hernán Morales Salgado and Gladys de las Mercedes Calderón Carreño were sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison as authors of six counts of aggravated kidnapping.

In the case of former agents Sergio Orlando Escalona Acuña, Juvenal Alfonso Piña Garrido, Jorge Iván Díaz Radulovich, and Gustavo Enrique Guerrero Aguilera, a sentence of 5 years and one day in prison was applied as authors of a single case of aggravated kidnapping.

Likewise, former agents Orlando Jesús Torrejón Gatica, Claudio Enrique Pacheco Fernández, Orlando del Tránsito Altamirano Sanhueza, and Carlos Eugenio López Inostroza must serve 7 years as accomplices to the 16 counts of aggravated kidnapping and 5 years and one day in prison as accomplices to the aggravated homicide.

Finally, Hermon Helec Alfaro Mundaca must serve 7 years as an accomplice to 15 counts of aggravated kidnapping and 5 years and one day in prison as an accomplice to the aggravated homicide.

The criminals Carlos José Leonardo López Tapia and Ricardo Víctor Lawrence Mires, who had been sentenced in the first-instance ruling issued by Minister Leopoldo Llanos in July 2017 to 20 years in prison, died during the course of the proceedings. Also deceased are those sentenced in the first instance: Ciro Ernesto Torré Sáez, Orlando José Manzo Durán, and Pedro Segundo Bitterlich Jaramillo.

In dismissing the "half-prescription," the Supreme Court establishes that: "(...) it is necessary to take into consideration that the matter under discussion must also be analyzed in accordance with international Human Rights regulations contained mainly in the Geneva Conventions, which prevent prescription, total or gradual, regarding crimes committed in cases of armed conflicts without an international character."

The resolution adds that: "The same conclusion is reached considering both the norms of the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons and those of the Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, since in accordance with that regulation, gradual prescription has the same nature as total prescription."

"From another perspective, legal doctrine on this matter has expressed that its foundations are found in the same considerations of social stability and legal certainty that gave rise to Article 93 of the Penal Code, but that it is intended to produce its effects in those cases in which the realization of the ends provided for prescription does not occur naturally but after a gradual process, that is, when the time necessary to prescribe is about to be fulfilled, which would justify the mitigation of the penalty," it adds.

"However," it continues, "it is evident that that conclusion is for cases that do not present the characteristics of crimes against humanity, as these are imprescriptible. Consequently, for such mitigation to be appropriate, it is necessary that it be a crime in the process of prescribing, which does not happen in this case, so the passage of time does not produce any effect, because social reproach does not diminish with time, which only occurs in cases of common crimes."

The Facts In the first-instance ruling, the special minister Leopoldo Llanos Sagristá established that within the framework of the systematic repression of opponents of the military regime, in the months of April and August 1976, the detentions of a series of people, all Communist Party militants, took place.

On April 29, 1976, in the area of Santa Rosa and Sebastopol streets in the San Miguel commune, brothers Manuel Guillermo, 22, and Luis Emilio Recabarren González, 29, were detained by DINA agents, along with Nalvia Rosa Mena Alvarado, 20, and her two-year-old son. The minor was abandoned near his home in the evening hours.

The following day, April 30, at 7:00 AM, Manuel Segundo Recabarren Rojas, 50, was detained shortly after leaving his home in the same sector and as he was preparing to board a public bus.

All the detainees were taken to the clandestine detention and torture center 'Villa Grimaldi'; Manuel Guillermo Recabarren González and Manuel Segundo Recabarren Rojas were also seen at the 'Simón Bolívar' facility, and Luis Emilio Recabarren González at 'Cuatro Álamos'. From those facilities, the DINA made them disappear.

On July 23, 1976, around 8:00 PM, at the intersection of Rojas Magallanes and Panamá streets in the La Florida commune, the young Clara Elena Canteros Torres, 21, was detained by DINA agents. She was subdued as she got off public transport.

She was taken to 'Villa Grimaldi', where she was seen by witnesses, and on August 20, 1976, she was taken out of that facility along with other detainees Mario Juica Vega and Óscar Ramos. Since then, they have been disappeared.

At 9:40 PM, Eduardo Canteros Prado, 48, Clara Elena's uncle, a civil engineer, was detained on the public thoroughfare by DINA agents in front of his home located on Panamá street, in the La Florida commune. He was taken to 'Villa Grimaldi'. In 1990, his remains were found at the Las Tórtolas farm in Colina, a facility that belonged to the Army until 1980.

On July 27, 1976, around 5:15 PM, Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, 49, was detained by DINA agents from his office located at Mallinkrodt 70, Barrio Bellavista. They took him to the 'Villa Grimaldi' facility.

On August 4, 1976, Daniel Palma Robledo, 61, a businessman, was detained in the morning hours on Avenida Matta, between San Diego and Arturo Prat streets; after picking up his mail, he bought a newspaper, and at the moment of leaving, he was detained and taken to an unknown destination, but he was seen at the 'Simón Bolívar' extermination barracks.

On the same day, August 4, at 3:00 PM, the doctor Carlos Enrique Godoy Lagarrigue, 39, was detained. They captured him during the trip he was making between the San Bernardo Parochial Hospital and his private practice, located at the corner of Barros Arana and Arturo Prat. He was taken to 'Villa Grimaldi' and, subsequently, to 'Cuatro Álamos', from where he was disappeared.

In the night hours of August 4, the surgeon Iván Sergio Insunza Bascuñán, 43, was detained by DINA agents while driving his vehicle. He was taken to 'Villa Grimaldi' and then to 'Cuatro Álamos'.

On August 6, 1976, shortly after leaving his home, around 9:30 AM, the student and Central Workers' Union leader José Eduardo Santander Miranda, 29, was detained by DINA agents; surviving witnesses saw him at the 'Villa Grimaldi' facility.

On August 9, Víctor Hugo Morales Mazuela, 45, a carpenter and construction worker, union leader, and organization head for a regional branch of the Communist Party, was detained in the morning hours in the vicinity of the 'Villa México' neighborhood in the Maipú commune and was taken to 'Villa Grimaldi'. Subsequently, he was seen at the 'Simón Bolívar' barracks.

On the same day, August 9, Mario Jesús Juica Vega, 34, a merchant, was detained around noon in the vicinity of Plaza Egaña, in the Ñuñoa commune, and taken to 'Villa Grimaldi', a place where he was seen by numerous witnesses. On August 20, he was taken from that facility along with two other detainees, and since then, the DINA has kept them disappeared.

On August 11, 1976, at 9:00 AM, while leaving his home located on Chiloé street, between Santa Rosa and Gran Avenida, in the San Miguel commune, the merchant Miguel Nazal Quiroz, 44, was detained by DINA agents. He was taken to 'Villa Grimaldi'.

In the night hours of the same August 11, Carlos Mario Vizcarra Cofré, 31, a bodywork repairman, was detained at his home in Quinta Normal by agents who took him to 'Villa Grimaldi', a facility where witnesses saw him until August 25 of the same year. Subsequently, he was seen at the 'Simón Bolívar' facility.

On August 13, Juan Aurelio Villarroel Zárate, 55, a union leader and photoengraver, was detained around noon by DINA agents near the Mapocho Station while traveling from his home in Conchalí. He was taken to Villa Grimaldi.

On August 16, 1976, at 11:30 AM, the worker Julio Roberto Vega Vega was detained by DINA agents on Avenida Presidente Balmaceda, between Cueto and Libertad, in the Santiago commune. Several witnesses saw him held both at 'Villa Grimaldi' and at the 'Simón Bolívar' barracks.

by Darío Núñez

Source: resumen.cl, July 30, 2023 Date: 07-30-2023

Artists forcibly disappeared and executed by the civil-military dictatorship

Men and women whose contribution to society came from their social struggle, as militants, and also from their trades and occupations as shoemakers, laborers, textile employees, doctors, linotypists, dressmakers, secretaries, union and neighborhood leaders, municipal officials, public employees, railway employees, newspaper vendors, carpenters; agricultural, mining, forestry, and construction workers.

Also those who were just passing through, on a mission, studying, or had formed a family in Chile, coming from Vietnam, France, Spain, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, England, Ecuador, among other countries.

Some of their murderers and accomplices, who are serving lukewarm sentences in luxury prisons, have deprived us of them, but they have also deprived us of nearly a hundred artists and creators whom we have identified, with the desire to offer a tribute to those who, from the realms of culture, the arts, and heritage, were victims of state terrorism.

We have recognized 82 people whose creativity was expressed in audiovisual arts, crafts, theater, architecture, photography, Visual Arts, literature, and music.

In this note, you will be able to find the names of the people whose information allows them to be associated with an artistic language, according to the information available; however, it is highly possible that many more are missing from this list.

You will also find a link to the information that, among all the people who make the site www.memoriaviva.com possible, is made available to us so that we can contribute to not forgetting until there is justice.

For them… No forgiveness, no forgetting!!

[List of 82 individuals omitted for brevity, including #71: Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, Architect, Disappeared]

Source: prensaopal.cl, 9/08/2021 Date: 09-08-2021

Court of Appeals acquits six former DINA agents and reduces sentences for 11 others accused of kidnapping and homicide in 1976

The Eighth Chamber of the Court of Appeals acquitted a group of six former DINA agents and reduced the sentences of 11 others, who were granted the substitute penalty of intensive supervised release for a period of five years. "If such substitution is revoked, they must serve the initially imposed sentences," the ruling clarifies.

The crimes were committed in 1976, and today, after decades, three ministers of the appellate court sealed, in the first instance, the fate of the 17 former agents linked to the kidnapping and murder of an equal number of people.

The Santiago Court of Appeals reported that last Friday, April 9, special minister Leopoldo Llanos issued a final first-instance sentence and acquitted six former DINA agents accused as authors and accomplices of the crimes of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated homicide that occurred during the dictatorship in 1976.

These are Juan Morales Salgado, author of the crimes of aggravated kidnapping of Nalvia Mena Alvarado, Clara Canteros Torres, Juan Aurelio Villarroel Zárate, and the aggravated homicide of Eduardo Canteros Prado.

Ciro Torré Sáez and Orlando Manzo Durán, accused as authors of the crimes of aggravated kidnapping of Manuel Segundo Recabarren Rojas, Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, and José Eduardo Santander Miranda. (Orlando José Manzo Durán passed away on July 8, 2019, and the corresponding resolution regarding him has not yet been issued).

And Jorge Andrade Gómez, accused of being the author of the crime of aggravated kidnapping of Daniel Palma Robledo.

In addition, Gladys Calderón Carreño, an accomplice to the crimes of kidnapping and homicide of Eduardo Canteros Prado, was also acquitted. And Hermon Helec Alfaro Mundaca, also an accomplice to the crime of kidnapping but of Daniel Palma Robledo.

The Court of Appeals also decided to sentence 11 other former agents to various prison terms, granting them the substitute penalty of supervised release, for being authors of repeated crimes of aggravated kidnapping and multiple homicides.

Likewise, the Court of Appeals indicated that Minister Llanos accepted 37 civil lawsuits for amounts ranging from $50,000 to $100,000,000.

The ruling adds that various cassation and appeal resources were filed against said sentences. However, the Court declared that all cassation resources filed by the defense of the sentenced individuals Claudio Pacheco Fernández and Gustavo Guerrero Aguilera are rejected.

Reduction of sentences

The Eighth Chamber of the court, presided over by Minister Juan Cristóbal Mera and composed of Minister Mireya López and lawyer Cristián Lepín, indicated that the sentence imposed on Ricardo Lawrence Mires as the author of the crimes of aggravated kidnapping is reduced to three years and one day of minor prison in its maximum degree, absolute perpetual disqualification for political rights, absolute disqualification for public offices and positions during the time of the sentence, and payment of the costs of the case.

The same applies to Jorge Andrade Gómez, Juan Morales Salgado, Ciro Torré Sáez, Sergio Orlando Escalona, and Gladys Calderón Carreño, all as authors of the crimes of aggravated kidnapping.

The Court reported that, meeting the legal requirements, the substitute penalty of intensive supervised release for a period of five years is granted to each of the convicted persons, who must also comply with the requirements of Article 17 of Law 18.216.

"If such substitution is revoked, they must serve the initially imposed sentences, which will be counted from the time they present themselves or are apprehended, with the time they were deprived of liberty, as referred to in the ruling under review, serving as credit," the ruling specifies.

Finally, it is noted that the final and partial dismissals decreed due to the death of Orlando Guillermo Inostroza Lagos, Eduardo Antonio Reyes Lagos, Rufino Eduardo Jaime Astorga, Juan Manuel Guillermo Contreras Sepúlveda, Marcelo Luis Morén Brito, Bernardo del Rosario Daza Navarro, Guillermo Jesús Ferrán Martínez, Eugenio Jesús Fieldhouse Chávez, and José Mario Friz Esparza, respectively, are approved.

Source: elmostrador.cl, 04/12/2020 Date: 04-12-2020

Nine members of the community of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the Universidad de Chile were forcibly disappeared following the 1973 military coup. In their honor, a commemorative act was held, during which the Patio de la Memoria (Patio of Memory) was inaugurated.

One student, seven graduates, and one academic—most of them under 30 years of age—were the victims of human rights violations that occurred after the 1973 coup d'état. Some were forcibly disappeared just days after September 11, while others were detained and executed or forcibly disappeared during the course of 1973, 1974, and 1976.

During the commemorative act held on September 11, 2019, at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU), Dean Manuel Amaya recounted his experience and testimony of September 11, 1973. As a student on that very day, he headed toward the Faculty of Architecture of the Universidad de Chile, but in downtown Santiago, he could not continue his usual route due to the movements of military personnel and civilians and the great tension at La Moneda and its surroundings.

Trying to take refuge in a nearby house, he could hear gunfire and military jeeps driving through the streets at high speed, and he witnessed the ferocity of the events upon seeing a large number of people wounded and killed by bullet impacts.

Along with his testimony, Dean Amaya noted that "memory is the capacity to remember, which marks and leaves a trace of its work in a silent yet persistent way. In this act, we want to honor the memory of those who lost their lives, suffered torture, lost their jobs, saw their families broken, had to depart into exile, or suffered the disappearance of some of their own."

During the act, which included the participation of academics, staff, and students, the Patio de la Memoria was inaugurated with a plaque that reads: "A remembrance of all those who have been part of our community, whose dreams and ideals enriched the FAU, September 11, 2019."

Regarding this, the Dean noted: "We have proposed naming this place the Patio de la Memoria, which, with its trees, shadows, and silences, stimulates reflection and hope and promotes understanding."

Finally, the highest authority of the FAU stated: "I believe that as a society, a University, and a Faculty, we must strengthen the construction of a collective project where dialogue and mutual respect predominate; let us project a more just, tolerant, and fraternal country."

Throughout the day, FAU students carried out various activities and interventions in tribute to the members of the FAU community who were forcibly disappeared and executed, as well as to all students of the Universidad de Chile who were victims of the military dictatorship.

Our tribute and remembrance to all those who are no longer with us but who enriched the FAU with their ideals, struggle, and example:

Mario Peña Solari, student at the School of Architecture of the Universidad de Chile, detained on December 9, 1974. Luis Guendelman Wisniak, graduate of the School of Architecture of the Universidad de Chile, detained on September 2, 1974.

Yactong Juantok Guzmán, graduate of the School of Architecture of the Universidad de Chile, Valparaíso branch, detained on September 12, 1973. Ida Vera Almarza, architect from the Universidad de Chile, detained on November 19, 1974.

Carlos Gajardo Wolf, graduate of the School of Architecture of the Universidad de Chile, Valparaíso branch, detained on September 20, 1974. Leopoldo Benítez Herrera, architect from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, executed on September 17, 1973.

Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, architect from the Universidad de Chile, detained on July 27, 1976. Francisco Aedo Carrasco, architect from the Universidad de Chile, detained on September 7, 1974. Freddy Taberna Gallegos, geographer from the Universidad de Chile, executed on October 30, 1973.

Source: uchile.cl 9/12/2019

Date: 09-12-2019

45 years after the coup d'état, a tribute to our colleagues who were forcibly disappeared and victims of human rights violations

45 years after the military coup in Chile, the Human Rights and Union Action Committee of the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile AG pays tribute to our colleagues who were victims of human rights violations.

Fernando Kusnetzoff, former dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the Universidad de Chile, noted in the prologue to the book Ocho Arquitectos en la Memoria (Eight Architects in Memory): "When a new architecture book or magazine appears, the reader generally expects to find studies, illustrations, and commentaries on recent contributions and achievements produced by the practitioners of this ancient and unique discipline that conceives and shapes the space inhabited by mass society.

Even when the text focuses monographically on a specific architect, its content deals with their works and their contribution to the evolution of architecture. Therefore, we find it strange and difficult to write a prologue for a book that, on the contrary, accounts for the abrupt end, in their practice, of eight Chilean architects, coldly tortured and murdered by the agents of the sinister dictatorship that was imposed upon us three decades ago by a conservatism opposed to social progress.

It is necessary to remember that starting with the military coup in Chile, a large number of architects were victims of prolonged detentions, torture, and confinement in various concentration camps set up throughout the country or on Navy ships in Valparaíso.

Some were released, having to travel subsequently to various countries or remaining—the minority—in Chile, in adverse conditions. Many were expelled from the country, forced to emigrate or go into exile due to the harassment and persecution to which they were subjected; their family ties, professional offices, and labor or economic positions were destroyed, and they had to rebuild their lives in unknown countries with different languages and cultural habits.

Some have died in exile."

This year, 2018, the Universidad de Chile has granted and will continue to grant posthumous and symbolic degrees to students of that institution. Among them are two students who were simultaneously studying two degrees, one of which was architecture. For the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile, adding two colleagues to this list is a task we wish would never be repeated.

Our commitment is to continue fighting for truth and justice. Memory is culture.

IDA VERA ALMARZA, 31 years old. Architect, Universidad de Chile. Forcibly disappeared since 11/19/1974. CARLOS ELADIO SALCEDO MORALES, 21 years old. Student of Sociology and Architecture at the U. de Chile.

Forcibly disappeared since 8/16/1974. Received posthumous degrees in 2018. MARIO PEÑA SOLARI, 21 years old. Architecture student, U. de Chile. Forcibly disappeared since 12/9/1974. Received his posthumous degree in 2018.

PATRICIO MANZANO GONZÁLEZ, 21 years old. Student of Engineering and Architecture at the U. de Chile. Murdered by the dictatorship on 2/8/1985. Received posthumous degrees in 2018. LUIS GUENDELMAN WISNIAK, 26 years old.

Architecture graduate, U. de Chile. Forcibly disappeared since 9/2/1974. Received his posthumous degree in 2018. YACTONG ORLANDO JUANTOK GUZMÁN, 26 years old. Forcibly disappeared since 9/12/1973. Architecture graduate, U. de Chile, Valparaíso.

Received his posthumous degree in 2017. CARLOS ALFREDO GAJARDO WOLF, 34 years old. Forcibly disappeared since 9/20/1974. Architecture graduate, U. de Chile, Valparaíso. Received his posthumous degree in 2017.

LEOPOLDO BENÍTEZ HERRERA, 37 years old. Executed on 9/17/1973. Architect, U. Católica de Chile. ALEJANDRO RODRÍGUEZ URZÚA, 49 years old. Forcibly disappeared since 7/27/1976. Architect, U. de Chile. FRANCISCO AEDO CARRASCO, 64 years old. Forcibly disappeared since 9/7/1974. Architect, U. de Chile.

Source: colegiodearquitectos.com 9/11/2016

Date: 09-11-2016

Medical Association Vice President Pablo Rodríguez: 'We must make every effort to reach the truth'

The physician, son of the architect and Communist Party militant Alejandro Rodríguez, who has been forcibly disappeared since 1976, explained that the strong stance taken by the professional association to which he belongs regarding the erroneous identification of remains is not directly related to his participation in the board of directors.

The professional explains that the errors of the forensic agency concern all of Chilean society. A few days ago, the Medical Association issued a harsh critique of the lack of technical excellence that—in its view—the current Legal Medical Service (SML) possesses, noting that this agency required a deep reengineering in order to improve its technical quality, independent of the urgent need to hire specialized personnel to clarify doubts in the identifications of the case known as Patio 29.

The vice president of the association, Dr. Pablo Rodríguez Whipple, in conversation with El Mostrador.cl, explained the position his association adopted regarding the issue of the forcibly disappeared, which in his opinion concerns all of Chilean society, "since we have the duty to make every effort to reach the truth," he maintained.

The professional also considered that, given the series of anomalies that allegedly occurred within the SML, it is also necessary for the new resources allocated for this work to be audited regarding the achievement of results, as this issue must find a prompt solution.

Rodríguez also has a very direct personal link to the other relatives of the forcibly disappeared, as his father, Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, an architect and leader of the Communist Party, father of five children, was detained on July 16, 1976, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

Origin of the error

• In your opinion, did the SML fail to redouble its efforts to do more accurate and professional work?
• Of course. I believe the country was involved here; our society has a duty, a responsibility, a pending commitment to the relatives of the forcibly disappeared. In this specific case of Patio 29, this consists both of the recognition and delivery of the remains of their relatives to the next of kin, and of clarifying the truth and achieving justice. This situation provides evidence that this work was not done as it should have been.

I understand that we are facing a complex issue, identifying remains after a number of years in which many of them are in a significant state of deterioration, but it was and is necessary to gather the necessary information from all over the world, where these types of phenomena have occurred for other reasons, and where top-level technical teams have worked.

If we do not have the necessary implementation here to carry out this activity, then we will have to bring them in.

• Do you attribute the anomalies in the work performed at the SML to the disinterest of the authorities or to the fact that the experts working in the agency are not of a high standard?
• This corresponds to a lack of real commitment from the authorities on this issue. It is clear that we do not have to have expert forensic scientists in Chile, because it is a complex issue. But then we have to bring them from outside, from abroad, where there are professionals who can successfully complete this task, which is a task for all of Chilean society. It is a human issue of the highest sensitivity and, undoubtedly, we must look for where the technological and human resources are that can develop it, allocating the necessary economic resources so that this issue, which has dragged on for so long, is resolved.

I also understand that for the authorities themselves, it is often a deeply painful subject, and that can also justify a certain "immobilism," but that is not acceptable.

• Due to having compromised interests?
• No, because it is a painful matter. And there is, furthermore, that defense mechanism of hiding it in the hustle and bustle of daily life, of giving priority to more gratifying matters, but one cannot ignore such an important issue through that path.

• Is the need to bring foreign professionals to Chile because there are no trained specialists in the country to do a good job?
• Apparently, no. From what one reads in the media regarding how they tried to do things in a somewhat improvised way. They failed to compile enough information and to certify those who would carry out this task and whether they had sufficient expertise to have done it well. It is true, there are always margins of error, but one is more at ease when the greatest efforts have been made for their identification.

But one realizes that this was attempted in a very unrigorous, non-standardized way, etc. That is why we are faced today with knowing that these studies were deficient and led to the mistaken delivery of remains, which is the most complicated aspect.

When information is provided about the final whereabouts of a person, the relatives close a circle, they participate in the rite of burying their loved ones, and it turns out that now we find out that serious errors were committed.

We also do not know how many errors; it seems they are not all the identified cases, but it is not known which ones either. That is why I agree with defining responsibilities, timelines, and providing the resources to implement a clear and precise decision on this.

Reengineering

• In your opinion, what responsibility does the current director of the SML bear, since the first questioned expert reports did not happen during his time?
• I fully agree with the statement we have made as the Medical Association. We think that the Legal Medical Institute today suffers from a series of deficiencies in technical aspects, equipment, and professional development, so that it is up to the demands that such an important agency has. Reengineering must be done, for example, what happened with the SII (Internal Revenue Service), which has had significant development. I believe there are State institutions that have been left behind in this modernization process. What is appropriate is to rethink, with all these facts, what the SML is that the Judiciary needs today, because it is an institution that collaborates with justice.

I do not want to personalize it in anyone, but obviously, the SML as a technical agency needs to modernize.

• Regarding the economic resources that will be allocated to this issue, do you share the opinion that these should be channeled through Parliament so that that body can audit their actual destination?
• I agree that resources must be provided to resolve this issue and that they cannot be incorporated into the current expenses of the service or other shortages it may have. Therefore, there must be oversight, an evaluation of the results, reaching the maximum real possibility of identifying the majority of the remains from Patio 29.

• How does the Medical Association face the fact that many of the professionals who have been questioned are also part of this professional entity?
• There are responsibilities there that are in the administrative-official sphere. We as an Association are not the body that has to provide an answer for this; for that, each institution has its authorities, its evaluations. In that sense, regardless of the professions of those who work there, we do not yet have evidence that negligence or irregularities have been committed and, therefore, we will wait for the results of the Chamber of Deputies' Investigative Commission or some complaint, to eventually initiate a process.

• So, initiating possible ethical trials is not ruled out?
• If it is in the realm of ethics, of course the Association has something to say, but if it is about administrative responsibilities, that is what the corresponding bodies are for.

• The issue of the forcibly disappeared touches you personally, in a very direct way. How do you live the situation as a relative of a forcibly disappeared person, not as a doctor?
• I am the son of the architect Alejandro Rodríguez, forcibly disappeared in 1976, in a situation that has been extraordinarily painful, difficult to face, to live with this reality, and to manage to overcome all of that to the extent that this is possible. Within the search for truth and facing justice, what is most appreciated are the recognitions of my father by his peers and by doctors as well.

In my father's case, the only information we have is that he disappeared along with a group of people, among whom were two doctors, Carlos Godoy and Dr. Iván Inzunza. We have never had reliable information; we have had a quantity of information that has never been able to be verified, such as that he was in Colonia Dignidad or in Villa Grimaldi, but the extraordinarily slow judicial process has not managed to establish who detained him or what his fate was.

The case of architect Rodríguez

Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, married, 5 children, architect, militant of the Communist Party, on June 27, 1976, left his office at Calle Mallinkrodt 70, in the Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago, at 5:15 PM, heading to the office of some engineers located on Agustinas, between Estado and San Antonio.

The affected party made the trip in his light blue Chevy car, 1970 model, license plate DY-821 of Las Condes. However, he did not arrive at the mentioned appointment. He also did not attend the Musalem Construction Company, where he was supposed to go later.

His office had been under surveillance since the 23rd of that month by two subjects who were moving in a red Ford Falcon with a black roof.

His spouse, Carmen Whipple Ascui, upon noticing that the affected party did not return home as was his daily custom, decided to go to the office in order to find out what could have happened. She arrived there around 11:30 PM.

Upon entering, she could observe that the whole place was in disarray, with clear evidence that it had been searched thoroughly, while she also found numerous objects and furniture destroyed. She also managed to realize that those responsible for the raid had stolen checks, money, folders, personal documents, and Alejandro Rodríguez's phone book.

Source: elmostrador.cl 06/05/2006

Date: 06-05-2006

Regarding the architect Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa

On the occasion of the fourteenth anniversary of the detention and disappearance of the architect Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, we, his children, have wished to make known to the country who he was as a father, professional, and politician.

He was born on January 28, 1927, in Santiago. He finished his secondary education in 1944, receiving the "Rosenblitt" award as the top graduate of the Liceo Amunátegui. In 1950, he married Carmen Whipple Ascui, with whom he initially had three children: Paz Alejandra, María Soledad, and Pablo, currently surgeons.

In 1953, he obtained his degree in Architecture with unanimous distinction from the U. de Chile. He was a professor at the Schools of Architecture of the U. de Chile and the Technical University of Concepción, which he helped create.

He served as an architect for the Planning Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works and the Building Department of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Chile.

In 1958, he settled with his family in the city of Concepción, where his other two children, Gonzalo and Marcelo, were born; they are currently architecture students.

He served as Director of Works for Lota and Coronel and as an Urban Planning Advisor to the Municipality of Coronel. He was a delegate of the Ministry of Housing in the provinces of Ñuble, Concepción, Arauco, and Bío-Bío.

In the professional sphere, he was a prominent member of the Architects' Association of the city of Concepción, being elected president for the 1966-1968 term and re-elected for 1968-1970. During his tenure, he was noted for his fervent defense of the prerogatives of the practice and the prestige of the architectural profession, as well as the interests of the Region.

He represented architects at numerous local and national congresses of the order. He managed the creation of the School of Architecture in Concepción, which is today a reality at the Universidad del Bío-Bío.

His architectural work stands out in all categories: educational and institutional buildings, social housing, industries, hotels, regulatory plans, private residences, and commercial galleries.

Winner of numerous competitions

First Prize, Exhibition Pavilion of the Feria de América in Mendoza (Argentina), 1953. First Prize, Competition for the Casa del Profesional Building in Concepción, 1960. First Prize, Competition for the Casa del Arte Building at the University of Concepción, 1962.

First Prize, Competition for the Regional Colleges of the U. de Chile in Temuco, 1963. First Prize, Competition for the Lota Corvi housing complex, 1966. Second Prize, Competition for the Inacap Concepción Building, 1967.

First Prize, Competition for Villa Acero for rationalized housing, Corvi, 1967. Third Prize, Competition for the Manzana Catedral Building in Concepción, with Cormu, 1968. Diploma of Honor awarded by the Architects' Association of Chile for the "Casa del Arte" project at the University of Concepción. Distinguished work in the Education category.

He collaborated actively in various publications related to his profession, such as the magazines Construcción, Pro-Arte, and Auca.

He participated in International Congresses of the U.I.A. in 1963 in Havana, Cuba, and in 1967 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

As a politician, he was a prominent militant of the Communist Party from his youth. He believed in and always fought for a more just society. He was a councilman for the Municipality of Concepción and a candidate for deputy.

In 1971, at the request of President Salvador Allende, he moved to Santiago to assume the vice-presidency of Corhabit, under the Ministry of Housing, a position he held until the Military Coup.

As a father, he was an exemplary human being; he enriched us with his love, his tenderness, his intelligence, his precise words, his open laughter, and his non-violence. With our mother, they formed a stable, harmonious union, full of life and tenderness.

One day, July 27, 1976, at 5:15 PM, he left his professional office located at Calle Mallinckrodt 70, in his private car, a Chevy Nova with license plate DY-821 of Las Condes. He was supposed to head to the offices of engineers Carlos Sandor and Enrique Schlessinger to pick up some calculation plans, but he never arrived.

To this day, we remain ignorant of the whereabouts and the fate of our father. In this way, he joined the hundreds of Chileans who were forcibly disappeared under the Military Dictatorship.

We ask those who were witnesses to his kidnapping or who shared places of detention to send information to the Vicaría de la Solidaridad.

Source: Analisis – July 30, 1990

Date: 30-07-1990

Tribute paid in Concepción to Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, architect forcibly disappeared during the dictatorship

In the company of authorities and family members of Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa, the architect who was detained and disappeared in 1976 was commemorated in Concepción. To recognize Rodríguez's institutional, residential, and commercial contribution to the city, one of the rooms of the Regional Ministerial Secretariat (SEREMI) of Housing and Urbanism of Bío-Bío now bears his name.

The architect, originally from Santiago, arrived in the Penquista lands in 1950. It was there that he developed projects such as the Medical College, the Casa del Arte of the UdeC, and the Hotel Cruz del Sur. He also designed domestic constructions such as the Casa Abudoj, the Maipú building, and dozens of single-family homes in the commune, among other examples.

"I am very moved because it has been an act that has conveyed all the beauty of my father. Not only in his work, but as a human being," commented María Soledad Rodríguez, one of his five children. She added that "it cannot be separated from the brutal fact that he is a forcibly disappeared person since July 27, 1976, for thinking the way he thought."

Tribute to Alejandro Rodríguez highlights his time in Concepción.

The symbolic act took place on September 8 at the facilities of the SEREMI of Housing and Urbanism.

Alejandro Rodríguez worked as a professional both alone and in teams, usually collaborating with architects Osvaldo Cáceres and Maco Gutiérrez, with whom he worked on the design of the FIUC building and the Gacel Shoe Factory, respectively.

The inauguration of the room that now bears the name "Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa" is noted as the most important in the building. This act is part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Coup d'État. The tribute had the support of the Architects' Association, of which Rodríguez was a member as a leader in the 1960s.

Photograph: FARCODI UBB.

"It is a small act, but we feel it is very commemorative. Significant from the point of view of emotions and from the point of view of memory and democracy for our country," said Claudia Toledo, head of the SEREMI.

"I am very grateful and moved by that. As my father was, I will always think that he deserves everything for his work, for the love he always gave to people, for the help, since he was a very solidary, affectionate, and loving man, a great partner for my mom and a great father to all his children," concluded María Soledad.

In addition to this tribute, the memory of the forcibly disappeared architect lives on in his family and in his architectural legacy, still present in the streets of Concepción.

Source: sabes.cl 10/9/2023

"Alejandro Presente" Exhibition at the CA

On Wednesday, March 23, at 12:30 PM, "Alejandro Presente: Memory through Architecture" was inaugurated. This project, a winner of the 2015 FONDART, brought to life this exhibition—previously mounted in Concepción—which takes a journey through the life and work of the architect Alejandro Rodríguez Urzúa (1926-1976) and his emblematic projects in Concepción and Santiago, which are benchmarks of modern architecture between the 50s and 70s.

Organized by a group of architects from Concepción, the ceremony was attended by family, friends, and admirers of the work of Alejandro Rodríguez, who was also a promoter of the first school of architecture in southern Chile, at the State Technical University (now the Universidad del Bío-Bío), and held public positions as a Councilman of Concepción in the early 60s and Vice President of CORHABIT in the early 70s.

Architect Miguel Lawner, who was his classmate at the University of Chile, dedicated a few words to him: "This is a just tribute to a person who belongs to a very particular generation of the University of Chile: with great professional capacity, social commitment, and ideological convictions to give Chileans a better place to live," he expressed.

Alejandro Rodríguez's political militancy ended in 1973. Due to his political affiliation with the Communist Party, he was stripped of his position, and although he developed a career as an independent architect, in 1976 he was kidnapped by agents of the Dictatorship and became a forcibly disappeared person.

39 years have passed since his disappearance and his legacy remains valid; the UBB School of Architecture is one of the most important in our country, and his works such as the Gacel Factory of 1959, the José Clemente Orozco Casa del Arte of 1961, the Woywood House of 1964, and the Musalem Passage of 1975 remain as landmarks and great architectural references that have transcended decades, amazing architects and students who continue to find beauty and inspiration in his work.

The exhibition "Alejandro Presente: Memory through Architecture" will be on display until Wednesday, April 13, at the Architects' Association (Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 115, Santiago). Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Team: Alexander Bustos C, Luis Darmendrail S, Patricio Zeiss P.

Collaborators: Patricio Ortega T, Pedro Orrego B, Felipe Zúñiga, Pablo Garcés, Editorial Audiovisual Dostercios.

Source: colegiodearquitectos.cl 29/3/2016

MINVU pays tribute to thirty officials who were forcibly disappeared and political executions during the dictatorship

As an act of recovery of institutional memory, reparation, and healing, the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism installed a plaque in memory of the officials who were murdered starting on September 11, 1973, and presented a recognition to their families.

"We take up the generational relay; History will continue with us, and today we break the institutional silence of 50 years." With these words, Maricarmen Tapia, head of the Center for City and Territory Studies, began the tribute to the thirty officials of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism who were forcibly disappeared and political executions during the civil-military dictatorship, within the framework of actions promoted by the Government 50 years after the Coup d'État.

Minister Carlos Montes expressed that "ceremonies of this same nature are being held at La Moneda and in various ministries and public offices throughout the country. It was President Gabriel Boric who wanted the expression of the services and also of other organizations to emerge in different ways.

Today we had a moment of affection, respect, and consideration, with the pride of saying that the Ministry of Housing is capable of thinking about History to project it into the future."

In this regard, Maricarmen Tapia detailed the relevance of the preparation process for this ceremony and the other activities that the Center for Studies and the Center for Training, Dialogue, and Participation organized, and the sense of institutional healing that was intended.

"History is not, if it is not told. And History requires our commitment to human rights, truth, justice, and reparation. There is a History that wants to be told and that requires spaces like this, time, and ears.

Knowledge frees us and gives us power, and in this case, a power of understanding, of recovering meaning, of explaining the present. Knowledge also allows us healing, and that neither sadness nor violence prevents us from gathering this History and the values and ideals that sustained it," affirmed the head of the Center for Studies.

The act was attended by family members of the honored officials, who expressed their emotion and gratitude for the institutional recognition.

"I am the daughter of Mr. Víctor Hugo Morales Mazuela, head of the CORHABIT emergency office in 1973. Detained, kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by the dictatorship. I want to greet the minister, because 50 years had to pass for this to happen.

On behalf of the families of the political executions and forcibly disappeared, I want to give you my gratitude and emotion for this attitude," expressed Olga Morales at the end of the ceremony.

Marlene Galdames, president of the Association of Officials of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (AFUMINVU), joined the expressions of awe and stressed that it is an act of justice and recovery of institutional memory.

"We especially want to greet the families of the colleagues who are no longer with us, who 50 years ago walked out that door and were never seen again. We cannot imagine what it means for you to be here today (...) We as a ministry have a debt to you. We cannot forget those who were part of this ministry, that is why we are here," the leader maintained.

The commemorative plaque with the names of the thirty officials of MINVU and SERVIU was installed on the first floor of the institutional building, as a permanent exercise of memory and recognition to those who gave their lives for the dream of a more just and dignified country for all.

Among those present were those who collaborated in the research and preparation process for the MINVU commemoration activities, including Miguel Lawner, 2019 National Architecture Prize winner and former director of CORMU; Alfredo Rodríguez, researcher; Lilia Santos, in charge of recreation at O’Higgins Park, and dozens of officials from MINVU, SERVIU, and the SEREMI.

In addition, the ceremony was accompanied by an artistic installation of structures formed by kites, made by Arte Volantines. On one of them, it reads "Do not forget me," and on its back, one can see the faces of the thirty officials executed and disappeared during the civil-military dictatorship.

Two other installations recall a poster by Vicente Larrea, which he made within the framework of the 1972 student volunteer work, and the seal of the 50th Anniversary Commemoration.

The solemn act also featured the artistic intervention of Daniela Contreras and Nelson Arriagada, who performed the choreography Anhelo.

List of forcibly disappeared and political executions:

The following list was built thanks to a systematized and semi-automated review of the database of forcibly disappeared and political executions of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights; the report of the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation; the report of the National Commission for Reparation and Reconciliation; the report of the Advisory Commission for the Qualification of Forcibly Disappeared and Political Executions and Victims of Political Imprisonment and Torture; and administrative information from the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism.

The foregoing allowed for a double verification of the information in most cases.

ACHU LIENDO RIGOBERTO DEL CARMEN. Political execution. PS. 13-12-1973. 31 years old. CORHABIT OFFICIAL. AEDO CARRASCO FRANCISCO EDUARDO. Forcibly disappeared. PS-MIR. 07-09-1974. 63 years old. MINVU ARCHITECT.

CANTEROS PRADO EDUARDO. Forcibly disappeared. PC. 23-07-1976. 48 years old. CORHABIT CIVIL CONSTRUCTOR. CARCAMO ARAVENA RAUL IVAN. Forcibly disappeared. MAPU. 31-08-1977. 32 years old. CORHABIT EMPLOYEE.

CARRION CASTRO JORGE ERNESTO. Forcibly disappeared. MIR. 5/10/1973. 23 years old. WORKER AT THE SANTIAGO POTABLE WATER COMPANY. CELEDON LAVIN LEON EDUARDO. Political execution. No affiliation. 02-10-1973. 33 years old.

COU LAWYER. CEPEDA MARINKOVIC HORACIO. Forcibly disappeared. PC. 15-12-1976. 54 years old. CIVIL CONSTRUCTOR - RETIRED COU. ESPINOZA POZO MODESTO SEGUNDO. Forcibly disappeared. MIR. 22-08-1974. 32 years old.

CORVI NIGHT WATCHMAN. FELMER KLENNER JOSE LUIS. Political execution. MIR. 19-10-1973. 20 years old. CORHABIT EMPLOYEE. GADEA GALAN NELSA ZULEMA. Forcibly disappeared. No affiliation. 19-12-1973. 29 years old.

CORVI-KPD SECRETARY. GONZALEZ ORTEGA, HUGO ARNER. Forcibly disappeared. PS. 13-09-1973. 23 years old. COU OFFICIAL. HIDALGO ORREGO SERGIO JORGE. Forcibly disappeared. PS. 31-08-1977. 33 years old. KPD EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR.

IBARRA FUENTES GUILLERMO. Political execution. No affiliation. 11-11-1973. 32 years old. WORKER AT THE HOUSING AND URBANISM SERVICE. LABRIN SASO, MARIA CECILIA. Forcibly disappeared. MIR. 12-08-1974. 25 years old.

CORVI SOCIAL WORKER. Pregnant. MORALES MAZUELA VICTOR HUGO. Forcibly disappeared. PC. 09-08-1976. 45 years old. WORKS MANAGER – CORHABIT ADMINISTRATIVE. OLIVARES JORQUERA RAUL JAIME. Political execution.

PS. 01-08-1975. 25 years old. CORVI EMPLOYEE. ORELLANA CASTRO MIGUEL IVAN HUMBERTO. Forcibly disappeared. MIR. 00-07-1976. 27 years old. CORMU OFFICIAL. OTAROLA VALDES LUIS GERARDO. Forcibly disappeared.

PC. 30-08-1977. 25 years old. KPD WORKER. PONCE ARIAS ELIGEN. Political execution. No affiliation. 27-09-1973. 38 years old. CORHABIT WORKS MANAGER. PONCE PACHECO SOCRATES. Political execution. PS. 11-09-1973. 30 years old.

MINVU LAWYER, INDUMET INTERVENTOR. QUEZADA MONCADA HERNAN LEOPOLDO. Forcibly disappeared. No affiliation. 09-10-1977. 32 years old. KPD TECHNICAL ENGINEER. RAMIREZ HERRERA RICARDO IGNACIO. Forcibly disappeared.

PC. 16-05-1977. 40 years old. MINVU CIVIL CONSTRUCTOR. RETAMAL MATAMALA FRANCISCO DE ASIS. Forcibly disappeared. PC. 09-10-1973. 26 years old. COU EMPLOYEE AT DOLMEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. RODRIGUEZ URZUA ALEJANDRO.

Forcibly disappeared. PC. 27-07-1976. 49 years old. ARCHITECT, VICE PRESIDENT OF CORHABIT, CO-FOUNDER OF THE UTE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE. SAAVEDRA CHAMORRO FRANCISCO ANTONIO. Political execution. No affiliation. 11-09-1973. 25 years old.

CORVI AUXILIARY. SCHMIDT ARRIAGADA CARLOS. Forcibly disappeared. PS. 13-09-1973. 21 years old. CORVI OFFICIAL. SCHNEUER YUBERO WALTER CARLOS. Political execution. MIR – FER. 16-09-1973. 21 years old. UNIVERSITY STUDENT, COU EMPLOYEE.

ULLOA PINO JUAN ELADIO. Forcibly disappeared. No affiliation. 18-09-1973. 26 years old. TOPOGRAPHER, COU MANAGER. VERA ALMARZA IDA AMELIA. Forcibly disappeared. MIR. 19-11-1974. 32 years old. CORVI ARCHITECT. VIDAL PEREIRA RUDY FREDDY. Political execution. PC. 22-11-1973. 27 years old. CORHABIT COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER.

Source: centrodeestudios.minvu.gob.cl 2023