The Other "Missing" Guy

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Here's an article by a man named Shepherd Bliss, who came back to Chile this month to testify to a judge about the killing of his friend Frank Teruggi in the fresh wake of Pinochet's September 11, 1973 military coup.

It's a very well written, emotive piece summarizing the case, the legacy of Pinochet, and the continued necessity to bring everybody to justice.

Frank Teruggi was very likely executed in the National Stadium, not just picked off by a random patrol for being out past curfew, as the military claims. Bliss also discards today's Pinochet supporters as "a few wealthy people" who "continue to sing his praise". He finishes the article calling for continued pursuing and trying of human rights abusers:

Justice is an end in itself. It would benefit the families of those tortured, executed, and disappeared, as well as the society as a whole. It also deters future tyrants. Authentic justice should not be sacrificed, in my opinion, for a false harmony. It is long past time to bring the generals and others responsible for the deaths of Frank Teruggi, Charles Horman, and thousands of others to justice. Some of their names are known and they should be tried.

Who does this guy think he is? Coming to Chile just to criticize and point out everything they're doing wrong. You know, in Chile, you follow the rules of Chile. In your country, it might be different. But you're in Chile, and if you don't like the way they do things here, why don't you just go home!?

Gringo culia'o...Conchesumadre....

7 Comments:

At 2:31 AM, El Comendador said...: Thanks Will, for that link to Shepherd Bliss' article - I see that Steve Anderson's Stgo Times also covers Bliss' testimony.

I had an interesting meeting in Santiago at a party after the Election in '89 celebrating the return to Santiago of many exiled politicians from Allende's days. I went to a hotel downtown for the party - it was an incredibly emotional affair. Juan Pablo Letelier (Orlando's son & now a Senator) came with me and the CBC's Adrienne Clarkson (later to become Canada's Governor General) and we witnessed wonderful, tearful reunions of former leaders and returning exiles in the smoke-filled conference hall.

I had to excuse myself after an hour or so - to get some fresh air and to calm down in the lobby. A woman sat down on the couch beside me and asked in English-accented Spanish for a light. She was surprised that I was a North American and we chatted about why were at this reunion/celebration.

She was Joyce Horman, Charles Horman's wife (of "Missing" fame, she was called "Beth Horman" in the movie, played by Sissy Spacek in Costa-Gavras' film based on a great book - Thomas Hauser's "The Execution of Charles Horman - An American Sacrifice) and she was visiting Chile again for the first time since returning to the US in '73.

I met some amazing people in Chile in those late-80's/early-90's days, but Joyce Horman was certainly one of the most tragic and memorable.
At 3:01 AM, Chileno said...: I think she's the one featured in the documentary Estadio Nacional, did you ever see that one?
At 6:51 AM, tomasdinges said...: "Who does this guy think he is? Coming to Chile just to criticize and point out everything they're doing wrong. You know, in Chile, you follow the rules of Chile. In your country, it might be different. But you're in Chile, and if you don't like the way they do things here, why don't you just go home!?

Gringo culia'o...Conchesumadre...."

It seems very clear now that your situation is just like that of this guy.
At 1:25 PM, Chileno said...: Haha, I knew that was coming. So, Tomás, by your logic a friend of mine has to be killed in order for me to criticize flaws in the country?

Flaws that, if corrected, would help Chileans?

Or should I keep my mouth shut about smog, poverty, police brutality, etc?

You criticize the things that are bad about Chile. Of course, you're Chilean, so you have more of a right to do so? Only Chileans can criticize Chile?

I'm dying to know how, in your world, you measure these things. What level of citizenship does one have to have before they criticize Chile? How grave do the problems being criticized have to be?
At 5:48 PM, mamacita chilena said...: Did you see the program on TVN last night about tortures committed by the DINA?

I was actually really surprised that they showed something that brutal and truthful on Chilean TV.
At 6:44 PM, Chileno said...: Missed it. Sounds very interesting and that's awesome they're doing that. At least a year and a half ago they were doing an exposé on Colonia Dignidad.

However - and T-slice might accuse me of seeing the glass half empty, but I think it's a valid point - is that often abuses of the past are used cynically to dwarf those of the present. The concertacion is not udi, and that seems to be enough. Or really, the only alternative.

One would think it's good to have a president who was incarcerated under Pinochet, but what is Bachelet doing to really put people's ass to the fire and get Pinochet's constitution amended so that 10% copper revenues being funneled to a military on steroids might actually be diverted into education, for example. After all, she spent a lot of energy evangelizing reduced poverty numbers (based on truly questionable statistics). Her presidency is a failure anyway, she might as well go out on a limb and make some real calls for justice. But no, that'd jeopardize Lagos' chances next term. Heaven forbid.

Sorry, TVN is not Bachelet. TVN is banking on a controversial show, and it's good that they can bank on it. I didn't see it, nor did I live through that period, but it seems bringing up those issues would be healthy and cathartic, and it might not have been as easy to do that a few years back, I dunno.
At 9:06 AM, rod said...: Mr. el comendador: you are a scholar and a gentleman.