The march will start at the Plaza de los Heroes, go along the Alameda avenue and pass by the Palacio de La Moneda before heading to the cemetery.

On September 11, 1973, tanks and military airplanes attacked the seat of the Executive and other buildings and overthrew the Popular Unity government, presided by Salvador Allende.

Augusto Pinochet, who was then commander in chief of the army, led the uprising that gave way to a 17-year dictatorship, during which more than 40,000 crimes against humanity were committed, including kidnappings, detentions, torture, assassinations and disappearances.

Fifty-two years after those events, there are still more than 1,100 people whose whereabouts are unknown.

In order to keep the memory alive and prevent events like these from being repeated, various commemorative activities will take place here in the coming days, including conferences, evenings, concerts and visits to historical sites.

The University of Chile will award the Human Rights and Democracy Medal to Maria Luisa Sepulveda, a social worker and one of the most recognized figures in the country for her work in favor of citizens’ prerogatives in institutions such as the Vicaría de la Solidaridad.

abo/jav/mem/car