Within the framework of the fiftieth anniversary of the military coup, a ceremony was held at the Ministry of Defense for Generals Prats and Schneider, former commanders-in-chief of the Army assassinated in the context of the dictatorship.
The meeting was attended by the President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric; the Minister of Defense, Maya Fernández; the undersecretary of the same portfolio, Fernando Ayala; the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Guillermo Paiva, and the family of the former Commander-in-Chief of the Army.
Also present was former senator Sergio Bitar, who delivered a speech to all those present, urging the Armed Forces and civil society to join together in a “great national challenge.”
“Today we have other Armed Forces and it is the duty of civilians and soldiers to take up the great national challenge of strengthening democracy, respecting human rights and building a country with more justice, social cohesion and economic strength,” he said.
“To fulfill this mission, the example of the Commanders-in-Chief of the Army, Generals Prats and Schneider, is forceful, they gave their lives for the defense of democratic institutions. And they planted a seed that must continue to germinate in the spirit of all the military, to consolidate that institutional culture that strengthens the confidence of the Chilean people,” he added.
“Memory is essential. Because it helps to warn of risks, to recognize progress, to identify obstacles and also to build viable paths for the future. Amnesia is always a latent danger. By discussing and learning from history we will all contribute to a sense of community and national unity,” he concluded.
