Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Human rights museum in Santiago, Chile
The Museum of Memory and Human Rights is a history museum in Santiago commune, Chile, documenting events during the military dictatorship between 1973 and 1990. The building spans three floors with exhibition rooms holding photographs, videos, and personal testimonies from victims and their families.
The institution opened in 2010 under President Michelle Bachelet's government as part of Chile's bicentennial celebrations and the national reconciliation process. Its foundation followed decades of debate about addressing violence during military rule that began in 1973.
The interior courtyard shows a memorial for the disappeared with hundreds of names engraved on glass panels that catch the sunlight. Visitors can walk through archives of personal letters and objects left by families to remember their loved ones.
The building stands on Matucana 501 and opens daily from 10 in the morning until 6 in the evening, with wheelchair facilities and free entry. The rooms are kept quiet, and it is advisable to allow enough time to walk through the exhibitions.
The entrance displays the final poem by Víctor Jara, written at Estadio Chile shortly before his death in 1973. The text is engraved on a wall and remembers the singer and activist who was detained during the first days of the regime.
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