Human Rights Violatiuns and the Paradox of Democratie Transition A Study of Chile and Argentina Elin Skaar R 1994: 5 December 1994 Report Chr. Michelsen Institute Bergen Norway Copyright eg Chr. Michelsen Institute, 1994 CM! Report Series Editor: Elling N. Tjønneland Cover design by Dynamo Bergen Printed by Bergen Print Service AS This series can be ordered from: Chr. Michelsen Institute Fantoftvegen 38 N-5036 Fantoft-Bergen, Norway Fax: + 47 55 57 41 66 Phone: + 47 55 57 40 00 E-mail: cmi(gamadeus.cmi.no Price: NOK 145 ISSN 0805-505X Indexing terms Human Rights Democratization Chile Argentina Contents List of tables and figures IV List of acronyms and abbreviations V Acknow ledgements vll1 Map of Chile and Argentina ix 1. Elitesdemocracy and civil society actors in transitions to 1 1.21.1 Three Introduction central hypotheses 1 2 1.41.3 Authoritarianism, Elite focused democracy, transition and consolidated theory democracy 9 3 1.5 The role of civil society in the process of transition 19 1.6 Defining gross human rights violations 22 1.7 Case selection, method, and sources 26 1.8 The structure of the analysis 30 2. Grossdemocratic human rights violations: Atransition central issue in 32 2.1 Why study gross human rights violations? 32 2.32.2 The2.3.1 geopoliticalThe national context Chileand the national contexts security doctrine36 35 33 2.3.32.3.2 A comparison Argentina of Chile and Argentina 38 41 2.4 A general map of repression: Chile 42 2.4.1 Septemberof the - December military 1973: Institutionalization regime 43 2.4.2 January 1974 - August 1977: the DINA period 47 2.4.3 August 1977 - March 1990: the transition period 49 2.5 2.4.4Gross human rights Exile violations in Argentina 52 54 2.5.1 Detained-disappearances 57 2.5.2 Who were the victims? 59 2.6 Why Argentina was worse 61 3. The form of transition 65 3.1 From theory to reality 65 3.2 Military defeat and transition by collapse in Argentina 65 111 3.2.1 The first stage of transition. Apertura: March 1981 - June 1982 66 3.2.2 The second stage of transition. The failure of negotiation attempts: June 1982 - October 1983 71 3.3 Electoral defeat and negotiated transition in Chile 74 3.3.1 Phase 1. First stage of liberalization: 1980- 1 983 76 3.3.2 Phase 1. Second stage of liberalization: 1983-1988 79 3.3.3 Phase 2. October 1988 - March 1990. Democratization 85 3.4 Comparing the two transitions 88 4. Consolidation? Moral idealism versus political realism 91 4.1 "Truth" ,"justice" , and "reconciliation" 91 4.1.1 Policy measures in the field of human rights 93 4.2 Moralobligations and presidential promises 96 4.3 "Truth": Nunca Más and Informe Rettig 98 4.3.1 Support 100 4.3.2 Aims 101 4.3.3 The fin dings of the reports 102 4.3.4 Reactions to the reports 104 4.3.5 Evaluating the importance of the reports 107 4.4 "Justice": the road from military trials to impunity in Argentina 110 4.5 Why the lack of justice? 118 4.6 The failed quest for truth and justice in Argentina 118 4.6.1 Judicial constraints 119 4.6.2 Constitutional constraints 120 4.6.3 Political constraints 120 4.7 Why no mass-trials in Chile? 121 4.7.1 Judicial constraints 122 4.7.2 Constitutional constraints 127 4.7.3 Political constraints 127 4.8 The outcomes of the Chilean and Argentinean transitions: a paradox 129 5. From transition to consolidation: Does civil society matter too? 135 5.1 Tying together the discussion 135 5.2 Introducing new actors 136 5.3 The human rights organizations in Chile: VicarÍa paves the way 139 iv 5.4 TheMothers human rights organizations take inthe Argentina: lead The 142 5.5 Comparing and contrasting the NGOs and movements 145 5.6 Theto role of humandemocracy rights organizations in transitions 147 5.7 Accounting5.7.1 for theInformation paradox of democratic consolidation 155 154 5.7.2 Unit y versus disunity 157 5.8 The Catholic Church and power constellations 159 5.8.1 The pro-human rights Catholic Church in Chile 161 5.8.2 The pro-military Catholic Church in Argentina 163 5.9 Human rights organizations and political parties 166 5.9.1 Connections at the individuallevel 167 5.9.2 The structurallevel 170 5.10 Assessing the human rights movements in 5.1Chile 1 Concluding and Argentina remarks 172175 BibliographyAppendices 178182 Tables 1: Thein pyramid Chile of repression: (1973-1989) gross human rights violations 42 2: Deaths and detained-disappearances in Chile (1973-1990) 52 3: Degree of "success" regarding human rights policy 132 4: HumanArgentina rights organizations (1976- in Chile (1976-1990) 1983) and 146 Figures 1: Modes of transition: the property space 15 2: VictimsArgentina of death and detained-disappearance according in toChile age and 60 3: Repression in Chile (1973-1990) and Argentina (1976-1983) 61 v List of acronyms and abbreviations Argentina AAA Alianza Anticomunista Argentina: Argentine Anti- Communist Alliance APDH Asamblea Permanente por los Dereehos Humanos: Permanent Assembly on Human Rights CELS Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales: Center for Legal and Social Studies CGT Confederación General del Trabajo: General Confederation of Labour CONADEP Comisión Nacional Sobre la Desaparición de Personas: National Commission on Disappeared Persons ERP Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo: People' s Revolutionary Army ESMA Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada: Navy Mechanics School FAP Fuerzas Armadas Peronistas: Peronist Armed Forces FAR Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias: Revolutionary Armed Forces FDDRPG Familiares de Desaparecidos y Detenidos por Razones Políticas y Gremiales: Association of Families of Persons Disappeared and Detained for Political and Trade Union Activity HRO Human rights organization IMF International Monetary Fund MAS Movimiento al Socialismo: Movement to Socialism MEDH Movimiento Ecuménico por los Dereehos Humanos: Ecumenical Movement for Human Rights MID Movimiento de Integración y Desarrollo: Movement for Integration and Development NGO Non-governmental organization PI Partido Intransigente: Intransigent Party PJ Partido Justicialista: Justicialist Party PRT Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores: W orkers' Revolutionary Party VI PS Partido Socialista: Socialist Party SCAF Consejo Supremo de las Fuerzas Armadas: Supreme Council of the Armed Forces SERPAJ Servicio Paz y Justicia para América Latina: Service for Peace and Justice in Latin America UCD Unión del Centro Democrático: Democratic Center Union UCR Unión Cívico Radical: Radical Civic Union UCRI Unión Cívico Radical Intransigente: Intransigent Radical Civic Union UCRP Unión Cívica Radical del Pueblo: People' s Radical Civic Union UNDHR United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Chile AD Alianza Democrática: Democratic Alliance ADENA Acuerdo Democrático Nacional: National Accord for the Transition to Democracy AFAREL Agrupación de Familiares de Relegados y Ex-Relegados: Association of Families of Displaced and former Displaced Persons AFDD Agrupación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos: Association of Families of Detained-Disappeared Persons AFEP Agrupación de Familiares de Ejecutados Políticos: Association of Families of Executed Political Activists AFPP Agrupación de Familiares de Presos Políticos: Association of Families of Political Prisoners CCDH Comisión Chilena de Dereehos Humanos: Chilean Commission on Human Rights CLAMOR Comité de Defensa de Dereehos Humanos en el Conq Sur: Commttee on the Defense of Human Rights in the Southern Cone CNI Central Nacional de Informaciones: National Information Center CNCT Comisión Nacional contra la Tortura: National Commission on Torture CODEJU Comisión Nacional Pro Dereehos Juveniles: National Commission on the Protection of the Rights of Y oung Persons Vll CODEPU Comité de Defensa de los Dereehos del Pueblo: Commttee on the Defense of the Rights of the People COPACHI Comité de Cooperación para la Paz en Chile: Committee on Cooperation for Peace in Chile CPRE Comité Pro Retorno de Exiliados: Commttee on the Return of Exiled Persons DINA Dirección Nacional de Informaciones: National Intelligence Directorate F ASIC Fundación de Ayuda Social de las Iglesias Cristianas: Christian Churches' Social Assistance Foundation FPMR Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez: Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front IC Izquierda Cristiana: Christian Left MAPU Movimiento de Acción Popular Unitaria: Movement for Unified Popular Action MDP Movimiento Democrático Popular: Popular Democratic Movement MIR Movimiento de /zquierda Revolutionario: Movement of the Revolutionary Left MCTSA Movimiento contra la Tortura "Sebastián Acevedo": Movement Against Torture "Sebastián Acevedo" PC Partido Communista: Communist Party PDC Partido Democracia Cristiana: Christian Democratic Party PDHAHC Programa Dereehos Humanos de la Academía de Humanismo Cristiano: Human Rights Programme of the Academy of Humanism and Christianity PDR Partido de la Democracia Radical: Radical Democratic Party PIDEE Protección a la Infancia Dañada por los Estados de Emergencia: Protection of Children Damaged under States of Emergency PPD Partido por la Democracia: Party for Democracy PR Partido Radical: Radical Party PS Partido Socialista: Socialist Party PSD Partido Social Demócrata: Social Democratic Party RN Partido de Renovación Nacional: National Renovation Party SERPAJ Servicio de Paz y Justicia: Service for Peace and Justice UDI Unión Demócrata Independiente: Independent Democratic Union UP Unidad Popular: Popular Unit y Coalition Vll1 Acknowledgements This study is a slightly revised version of my Cand. Polit. thesis, Human Rights Violations and the Paradox of Democratie Transition - a Study of Chile and Argentina, submitted to the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen, May 1994. The revision has been facilitated with funding from the Chr. Michelsen Institute, which also provided me with excellent working conditions during the writing stage of my thesis. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Tor Skålnes, who guided me throughout the process of writing the original study, spurred my thoughts in new directions, and always challenged me another step further. Thanks are due to Einar Berntzen at the University of Bergen for long, stimulating discussions and useful comments.