In 1973, the Chilean military, backed by the CIA and U.S. Government, violently crushed the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende, long time leader of the progressive left. Thousands were killed and disappeared, thousands more arrested and tortured. The documentary includes a number of speakers who were in Chile at the time such as Chilean writer, Ariel Dorfman and Isabel Allende, journalist and family member of Salvador Allende.

After an uninterrupted period of democracy, longer than any other Latin American country, Chile now faced 2 decades of military rule, with censorship across all press and media. The military worked with neighbouring countries to create a secret police, sharing information and collaborating to capture those who threatened the system. People lived in a state of fear and terror, but resistance grew steadily. For many it became a time of solidarity, with journalists and intellectuals risking their lives in order to express the voice of the people.

Chile’s first democratic election in decades finally came in 1989. The documentary goes on to discuss how Chileans have since tried to come to terms with their political and social past. The growth of the international solidarity and human rights movements eventually led to the arrest and extradition of General Pinochet, who was returned to Chile and investigated for crimes against the people. This helped set a worldwide precedent for bringing such criminals to justice.

The focus and purpose of the documentary is to raise awareness of such historical events in order to learn from them, and not repeat mistakes of the past. There is also an optimistic look at how to help younger generations to understand history.

The first programme and also a short promo for the documentaries are available on The Showcase. Also see http://www.freedomarchives.org for more information. This audio recording lasts 28 minutes and 1 second.