Southern Cone commemorations mark 50 years of military dictatorships

Commemorations regarding the 50th anniversary of military dictatorships in the Southern Cone have highlighted individual stories of disappearance and collective efforts to preserve historical memory.

In Neuquén, Argentina, the Universidad Nacional del Comahue presented the book ‘Invocación de lo Tangible. Textos del sur argentino chileno, a 50 años del inicio de la dictadura argentina’. The work features 59 authors contributing various formats, including poetry, essays, and letters, to document experiences related to the loss of the rule of law and state terrorism in the southern region.

Individual accounts also serve to honor victims, such as Alberto Mariano Fontela Alonso, a Uruguayan militant. Records from the Chilean National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation detail his disappearance in Chile on September 12, 1973, following a detention by military forces that led to his disappearance after being transferred to the Tacna Regiment.