A Traveling Memorial Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Chilean Coup d’eta

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By Daniela Morales Fredes 

As a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Professor Magdalena Novoa and the Association of Relatives of the Disappeared Detainees from Mulchén (Agrupación) on designing a memorial in the Malleco National Reserve in Chile. As part of our work with Fundación ALDEA, the Agrupación invited us to collaborate with them in the collective design of a memorial. This collaboration began in the midst of the pandemic, requiring us to conduct all activities digitally. We assembled a team of professionals to lead the project, including architects Claudia Candia, Cesar Vergara, Christian Matzner, anthropologist Alexis Muñoz, Prof. Novoa, and myself. Together, we worked closely for over 3 years culminating with the inauguration of the memorial in September 2023.  

The Agrupación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Mulchén represents the relatives of 18 forestry workers executed during the Chilean dictatorship. Known as the Mulchén massacre, this tragic event occurred on October 5, 6, and 7 of 1973, when a group of police officers, civilians, and military personnel killed 18 peasants and forestry workers in the Malleco National Reserve. Their bodies were made to disappear, with many buried in mass graves or thrown into the Renaico River. This case is one of thousands that took place during Augusto Pinochet’s civil-military dictatorship from 1973 to 1990. Official statistics indicate that approximately 3,000 people were executed or disappeared in Chile during this period, with 1,093 missing detainees whose fate remains unknown. 

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The Agrupación has tirelessly pursued justice while preserving the memory of their loved ones. They succeeded in having part of the Malleco National Reserve designated a National Historic Monument due to its significance as a memorial site for human rights violations during the dictatorship. The Agrupación approached us to design a memorial through a collaborative process in this place. Their president, Marina Rubilar, led us through the project with bravery, intelligence, kindness, and dignity. However, the project presented unforeseen challenges that tested our creativity and teamwork. 

We encountered difficulties conducting the design process via Zoom. Many Agrupación members reside in rural areas or are elderly adults unfamiliar with digital technology. Yet, Zoom also allowed us to engage individuals who otherwise might not have been able to participate due to time constraints or lack of transportation. After nearly five months of meetings and dialogues, we finalized a preliminary design for a memorial plaza, which was approved by the Agrupación. The project received funding of $73,184 from the National Endowment for Cultural Heritage of the Chilean Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Heritage—an uncommon achievement for human rights organizations in Chile, bringing us great satisfaction.  

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As we prepared to commence construction, a Mapuche community occupied the site, asserting Mapuche territorial sovereignty and holding the Chilean state accountable for environmental damage caused by extractive logging policies. After months of negotiation and struggle with the authorities, the protest culminated in the site being set ablaze. This incident underscores the complex layers of historical violence intersecting at this location, shaped by race, class, gender, and various forms of oppression across spaces and landscapes. 

Due to security concerns, Chilean authorities halted our construction plans on the site, pausing the project for nearly a year. During this time, we sought an alternative that would allow us to create a memorial for the Agrupación’s commemorative activities. Ultimately, we adapted the original design into a “traveling memorial,” designed to be assembled and disassembled, enabling us to install it wherever the Agrupación requires. This revised plan received approval from both the Agrupación and national authorities, and the Museo Regional de La Araucanía agreed to host the memorial temporarily until conditions in the Malleco National Reserve permit its permanent installation.  

The construction took place between August and September of 2023, and the memorial was ready just in time for the commemoration of 50 years after the coup d’etat. In collaboration with the Agrupación, we organized a beautiful ceremony filled with meaningful moments for them to recall their loved ones and celebrate life, memory, and resistance. 

Today, we continue to collaborate with the Agrupación on various projects and initiatives. Our bond with Marina Rubilar has strengthened, and we remain committed to supporting their pursuit of justice, reparations, and respect for human rights.