Justice in transition and reconciliation in Chile (1990 – 2025)

Abstract

Since the return to democracy in Chile, transitional justice policies have addressed the consequences of human right violations that occurred during the civil-military dictatorship (1973-1990). These policies have sought, in addition to repairing the damage caused, to contribute to social peace after state violence during the dictatorship. A fundamental part of these policies has been the search for the disappeared, which the current government has addressed through the National Search Plan. This article answers the question of whether or not reconciliation has been achieved as a result of these policies. We argue that it has only been partially achieved; while progress has been made (reparation policies), the demands of family members remain pending (justice), and there is still no cross-cutting political condemnation of human rights violations, nor a social agreement on unrestricted support for them in a democracy.

Received: 13 May 2025; Accepted: 21 November 2025