Antofagasta authorities reinstate memorial plaque for Joaquín Espinoza

The Regional Presidential Delegation of Antofagasta has reinstated a commemorative plaque honoring Joaquín Espinoza Ojeda, a port worker killed in the facility in September 1973. The memorial had been recently removed, sparking significant backlash from the Providencia Historical Memory Group, which labeled the removal a “flagrant act of negationism.”

The decision to reinstall the plaque follows pressure from citizens, political figures, and the National Institute of Human Rights (INDH). The regional government, led by Katherine López, stated that the plaque was moved to the second floor of the historical building for “organizational and functional reasons” regarding interior spaces, rather than to erase its significance.