Germany deplores rights violations at enclave in Chile

[Judi Lynn]

Source: BBC News

Germany deplores rights violations at enclave in Chile

1 hour ago

The German president has condemned the human rights violations at a secretive colony of ethnic Germans in Chile in the 1960s and 1970s.

Speaking in Santiago, Joachim Gauck said his country's diplomats should have said something about the atrocities committed at Colonia Dignidad. But he said Germany did not share responsibility for them.

The enclave was used as a torture centre during the Pinochet era. It was set up by a former Nazi officer, Paul Schaefer, in the 1960s as an agricultural commune of German migrants.

A Chilean congressional report said in 2010 that Colonia Dignidad - which means Dignity Colony - operated as a "state within a state" during the Pinochet regime, thanks to Schaefer's close ties to the country's ruling elite.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36780312

[Judi Lynn]

1. German president admits diplomat failures in colony in Chile

German president admits diplomat failures in colony in Chile
Jul 12, 6:43 PM EDT

By EVA VERGARA
Associated Press

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- Germany's president said Tuesday that he regrets his country's diplomats failed for years to act on human rights violations at a secretive colony of German immigrants in Chile.

Germany recently ordered documents about Colonia Dignidad, or Dignity Colony, from 1986 until 1996 to be unclassified for research purposes. For three decades from 1961, the enclave was the site of torture, slavery and child abuse.

"German diplomats didn't take seriously the human rights violations at a concrete time," Gauck said at a joint news conference with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

The leaders met earlier and Gauck said they spoke about "dark chapters" in their countries' past.

More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_CHILE_GERMAN_COLONY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-07-12-17-25-37

[forest444]

3. "Diplomatic failures" meaning "aiding and abetting."

It's no secret than whenever anyone went to the German Embassy for help in finding loved ones thought to be in Colonia Dignidad, the German Embassy in Santiago made a point to cover up what they knew. In at least one instance, they even tried to turn in an escapee.

"We were under pressure from the Pinochet regime," is the official excuse. Maybe so; but trying to deflect responsibility all these years later hardly makes up for it, does it now.

Thank you Judi for shining a light on these dark chapters.

[enough]

2. Thank you again Judi Lynn for your tireless attention to these matters. (nt)