Professional Resistances in the Program of Reparation for Victims of Human Rights Violations During Chile’s Dictatorship

Carla Cubillos-Vega
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España

Juan Bustamante Donoso
Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile

Giannina Muñoz Arce
Universidad de Chile

Abstract:

The implementation of the Chilean reparations policy for victims of crimes against humanity committed during the 1973–1990 civil-military dictatorship is dealt with here. We aim to analyze the subjective dimension in the implementation of the reparations program for victims of human rights violations occurred during the dictatorship, by exploring the discourses of frontline care professionals. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted, consisting of ten open interviews with practitioners in charge of implementing the program in the Valparaíso region. Findings suggest that the program is based on a therapeutic governance approach carrying a series of implications in its implementation. In response, practitioners engage in resistance practices to counter the gaps in formal policy and the approach within which it operates.

Keywords: human rights, reparations, program implementation, professional resistance, therapeutic governance.