Chilean family preserves history against forced disappearance

• A new book, Cuando se nos olvidó olvidar (When We Forgot to Forget), documents the lives of Juan Carlos and Jorge Elías Andrónico Antequera, who were forcibly disappeared in Chile 52 years ago.
• The project serves as both a historical record and an educational guide to combat political denialism, featuring archives collected by their mother, Herminia “Mina” Antequera Latrille.
• The book was presented at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, emphasizing the ongoing necessity of truth and justice in a democratic society.

Historical Context and Disappearance

• Juan Carlos and Jorge Elías were activists involved with the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) during the Allende administration.
• Following the military coup, they were abducted by DINA agents from a safe house in Santiago in October 1974.
• Witnesses later placed the brothers at the José Domingo Cañas clandestine detention center, alongside other notable political prisoners such as David Silberman.

The Role of Mina Antequera Latrille

• Mina spent decades searching for her sons, becoming a prominent figure in the human rights movement.
• Her personal archives, discovered in a chest after her death, include legal documents, photographs, and press clippings that form the core of the new publication.
• Experts highlight her life as a model of ethical caregiving and resilient advocacy, which is essential for sustaining democratic values.

Ongoing Legacy

• The family’s project, led by the Agitar Memorias Corporation, aims to transmit these stories to younger generations.
• The materials are being integrated into the official archive at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, ensuring the state's failure to account for the disappeared remains a public, unresolved issue.