08.02.2024 Santiago de Chile

Today we broke up! No not like this! Karin wanted to stay at home and enjoy the amenities of the apartment building, such as the swimming pool and fitness room. I, on the other hand, still had a museum in mind that I hadn't managed to see on our last visit. The "Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos" (Remembrance and Human Rights). This house remembers the terrible human rights violations and the "disappearance" of many Chileans. During the military government under Augusto Pinochet (1973 - 1990), over 40,000 people were victims of torture and executions. This memorial museum is located in a not so safe area of Santiago and Franziska's constant warnings and reports from her circle make a visit even more exciting. On the other hand, we have seen so much of the world so far and have certainly often approached situations naively, but we have always been lucky! If we, as unbiased tourists, no longer dare to venture onto the streets of our travel destinations and can only feel safe in guided tour groups, then should we reconsider our travel destinations or just stay in Berlin!? With such thoughts and the backpack in front of my stomach, not on my back, because of the greater safety, I set off alone. I still knew the tickets on the Bip card that Franziska had already loaded for us, the entrance gates and the direction of travel from last time. In line with my thoughts, I met a group of police officers at the exit station who were looking after three young tourists whose papers and money had been stolen in the metro. Maybe the entire backpack gone? I made my way to the museum on foot and, which is different, first contacted Karin to let her know that I had arrived safely. Reassurance call with a cell phone from Franziska with a Chilean SIM card.

In the museum I had an audio guide (in English, German no) because almost all of the exhibition information was only in Spanish. The funny thing was that nobody could/wouldn't change my money and so the guide was given to me free of charge. The exhibition was structured very logically and it is not difficult for visitors to understand the development of the terrorist regime and its effects on Chilean society. Impressive old film clips showing Chilean jet fighters bombing the Chilean government center on September 11, 1973! Original radio voices confirming the death of Salvador Allende (the elected left-wing government president). First Amendments and brutal arrests, equalization of all media and ban on free expression. History repeats itself again and again. For me, there was too little, actually nothing, information about the role of the Americans. Their interests were definitely at the forefront of this revolution (or rather, overthrow)! What I found impressive was a large wall that stretched over two floors and had photos of various sizes and frames hung on it. Just like the family pictures hang in our house. These images represented only a fraction of the victims who disappeared or were murdered in Chile and an image of the wall could be found on a very large touchscreen directly opposite the wall. Some visitors then clicked on one of the pictures on the screen and then an enlarged image of the victim and his story appeared. Or people entered a name as a search term and then the matching photo and background were displayed. I asked myself, how many of the victims would still be alive today if political and financial interests had not plunged this state into such disaster? And at the end of the exhibition, on the third floor, it was stated quite succinctly that Pinochet was forced to hold free elections in 1990 by mass opposition protests. The right-wing military dictatorship lost this vote and he resigned! This man, responsible for the misery of so many people, was never charged or brought to trial, there were never any attempts on his life and, on the contrary, he was even reappointed as a senator. I left the museum completely stunned and verbal inquiries to the staff did not reveal any other information! Incredible!!!

At home I met my wife in the water and then we went to the largest skyscraper in South America (Gran Torre Santiago, 300 m), because there is a large shopping center there where you can get everything. We should pick up a few missing bits and pieces for the roof party the next day.