51 Years of Reflection: José Victorino Lastarria High School Honors Chile’s Turbulent Past on Military Coup Anniversary

The high school community of José Victorino Lastarria, together with the Student Center of the institution, organized the commemorative event on the 51st anniversary of the Military Coup in Chile, truly showing our history, but without any political interest.

For this reason, within the framework of the month of Memory and Democracy, the entire educational community came together as a sign of reflection and reflection, to commemorate the Coup d’état of 1973, which put an end to decades of uninterrupted democratic tradition and for 17 years thousands of compatriots, foreigners, children, young people, mothers and fathers were victims of oppression and systematic violation of human rights.

Matías Cantillana, one of the organizers of this commemorative event, announced the commemorative hall, which showed photographs of prisoners, missing people, students, teachers, and since it was an educational field, making their parents feel’ n reflected and connected.

Cantilana said another of the exhibits is the “Return to Democracy” hallway, where photos from September 11, 1973 to March 11, 1990 are displayed, until Patricio Aylwin took office as president and returned to democracy.

“This is a meditative act where historical data is known and it also encourages people to enjoy the exhibitions around the high school, with artistic acts of singing and dancing cueca solo (a person dancing without his partner), which has meaning emotional and sometimes with the picture of the missing prisoner,” explained the young organizer.

Dagoberto Barrios: “We cannot ignore history”

For his part, Dagoberto Barrios, director of José Victorino Lastarria High School, expressed his satisfaction with this activity and said “this is a call where we have to have tolerance, because we have to rebuild our country together; and further, we cannot forget history, lest it be repeated.”
Barrios said he believes it is essential for students, teachers and the educational community to draw attention to these activities “that are part of our country and typical of it and therefore we cannot ignore the history.”

“This little pause we’re taking as an institution, we want to build tolerance, respect and good communication,” said the high school senior.

To conclude the event, the bells were rung, with a minute’s silence and the delivery of carnations, which were placed in a box.