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A symbol of Chile's tragic past
The Esmeralda was used to torture political prisoners, activists say
By Michael Lightstone TALL SHIPS 2000
SOURCE: The Halifax Herald Limited
DATE: July 20, 2000
Human-rights activists say it's a floating relic of despair, a tall ship with a
dark history tied to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Chile's government and navy brass have publicly stated the Esmeralda, which
arrived in metro Wednesday for Tall Ships 2000, was never used to detain and
torture people.
Its 44-year-old captain, Edmundo Gonzalez, has said the ship's legacy is not one
of political persecution and abuse.
Nevertheless, the controversy that hounds the big boat seems to sail with it
wherever it goes. It will be the focus of a protest on the Halifax waterfront
Friday; another is planned when the Esmeralda visits Quebec City later this
month.
"That ship should not be here," Halifax resident Carmen Ossandon said Wednesday.
The Chilean expatriate said the Esmeralda was a place where women were sexually
abused and others tortured during interrogation.
Asked about the Chilean officials' denials, Ms. Ossandon said that's to be
expected.
"They're lying," she said. "They've been lying all the way - these things did
happen."
Capt. Gonzalez was unavailable for comment.
The Esmeralda's master chief, Jose Lopez, said his captain intends to join other
tall-ships commanders at a Halifax news conference Thursday. Ms. Ossandon, 45,
was 19 when the iron-fisted Pinochet ousted elected president Salvador Allende
in a military coup in September 1973.
Witch-hunts for leftists and other Pinochet opponents became the order of the
day. At least 3,000 people died or "disappeared."
Ms. Ossandon said Nova Scotians should know about the ship's link to Chile's
tragic past.
She said her homeland after the coup was a brutal, totalitarian state that
forced many to flee for their lives. Ms. Ossandon, raised in the Esmeralda's
home port of Valparaiso, left Chile for Spain in 1975.
"It was terrible. You couldn't live a normal life," she said, of Chile after the
coup.
"You were riding a bus and the soldiers would stop it and they'd get in. If you
didn't have any ID, you could go to jail or you'd disappear."
The Esmeralda is berthed behind Pier 21, between stately tall ships from
Argentina and Italy. It is to be open to the public Thursday between 1 and 7
p.m.
Visitors Friday morning may be met by protesters who'll be distributing flyers
on the ship's human-rights record.
"Our basic message is: 'Tell the truth about torture,' " said Craig Benjamin, an
Amnesty International staffer. The group's Ottawa office is organizing
demonstrations here and in Quebec.
"We recognize that it's a beautiful ship. We recognize that there are very
positive things about its history as well," he said. "But we want everything
told."
Patricia Bennetts, the sister of a man Amnesty officials say died of injuries he
received during torture aboard the Esmeralda, will be in metro for Friday's
protest.
"I would like to help restore the dignity of my brother and that of all the
other victims on the Esmeralda," said Ms. Bennetts.
If the captain dismisses the story, "he is only obeying his superior's orders .
. . because the Chilean navy has consistently denied it."
Mr. Benjamin said demonstrators hope to leave flowers on the deck of the
Esmeralda, or toss them in the water near the ship, in memory of Chileans beaten
onboard under Pinochet.
Built in 1952, the Esmeralda is a navy training vessel and a roving ambassador
for the South American nation. Promotional material handed out by a crew member
Wednesday includes a short section on Chile's history and geography. It doesn't
mention Pinochet's 17-year rule.
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