Human Rights Report Accuses Chile of Violations

October 17 | by Salimata Sophie Seck

THE STATE OF CHILE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF SEVERE VIOLATIONS IN THE MATTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS. THE ELEVENTH HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT RELEASED THIS MONDAY OCTOBER 14 BY THE DIEGO PORTALES UNIVERSITY (UDP) EXPOSES THE BLEMISHES.

SANTIAGO — The research takes stock of events between mid-2012 and 2013 related to human rights in the country, with chapters such as truth, justice and memory, migration and immigration, mental health or water rights, as well as the “penalty of abortion as a violation of women’s human rights.”

chile news, noticias chile
Report on Human Rights
Photo: Facebook / Centro De Derechos Humans Udp

Regarding the latter, the study describes the practices of abortion through unpublished testimony and argued that the illegal conditions force women to undergo unacceptable and dangerous situations of vulnerability and violence.

The women that took the already difficult decision to put an end to their unwanted pregnancy, have to face many issues. ”Through the conditions of illegality and danger the decision to abort implicates an offense against the mental and physic integrity of a woman,” explained Tomás Vial, general editor of the report.

Right to abortion protest
Right to Abortion – Protests
Photo: Sí al Aborto Terapéutico en Chile

“The criminalization of abortion in our country is a form of violation of women’s human rights,” concluded the chapter devoted to the legalisation of abortion in Chile, which was prepared by the lawyers Lidia Casas and Lieta Vivaldia.

Besides the criminalization of abortion the report also criticises the lack of institutions regarding the antidiscrimination law ”Law Zamudio”, they lament that there is no body to take charge of discrimination problems.

Meanwhile, on the “Mapuche conflict ” the report claims that police protocols do not conform in due form the process and criticises the excessive use of violence from side of the police forces.

Mapuche flag
Report on Human Rights -Mapuche Flag
Photo: Centro De Derechos Humanos Udp

Further the report explains that the “Ley antiterorsita“, which remain from the dictatorship, has serious shortcomings.

The study also reports about right of water as human right and talks in this matter about the privatisation of this vital good.

Other chapters on the major problems associated with human rights in the report are the rights of children and adolescents, the fundamental rights of migrants and refugees, as well as truth and justice for the human rights violations in the past.

It also analyzes for the first time from the point of view of human rights the progresses that have to be done in matters of covering and financing cases of mental illnesses and discusses the need to move on sexual diversity issues.

“What one can observe is that beyond progress or setbacks, there is a permanent breach in matter of human rights, not only by this government, but also by many international obligations,” reviewed the editor Tomás Vial.

Source: I Love Chile

Back to top