Building National Unity after a Fratricidal War. Transitional Justice Mechanisms As Operators of Truth for National Reconciliation

Through a detailed analysis of the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1990-1991) set up in Chile after seventeen years of dictatorship, I propose to show in this paper, how this mechanism transformed the claim of truth for justice, which was demanded by the relatives of the disappeared, into truth for reconciliation, which was required in order to construct a democratic nation.

At the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1990, the problem of truth regarding crimes committed during the dictatorship was institutionalized, and the newly elected President of the Republic (Patricio Aylwin 1990-1994) created the National Commission for "Truth and Reconciliation" (TRC, 1990-1991).

This “truth for reconciliation” had to be very general, without pointing a finger at those responsible or guilty of the crimes. Truth was supposed to function as a unifying mechanism. Normalization of political life and the preservation of unity were the official objectives, rather than justice (penal/criminal), which was seen by the government as a source of conflict.

The truth, which was a central value in the ethical-political struggle of the victim’s relatives, was replaced with the objective of creating something "for the good of Chile" (President Aylwin). It was supposed to create a consensus, common ground and reconciliation as a political solution to a national problem.

My study of the TRC effects on the public status of truth is based on an analysis of the report of the TRC, a selection of press articles (1990-1991), decrees, orders and laws, and a detailed analysis of presidential speeches regarding human rights violations and the Commission.