The purpose of our visit was to focus on the issue of human rights especially the current status of those persons who were detained or who disappeared during the military dictatorship in the 70s and 80s. The delegation met with families and relatives of the victims who shared with us their continued pain, agony and suffering. These nations and, in fact, the whole of the international community have been affected by this gross violation of human rights. State power was used against the citizens of Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. This reality needs to be addressed if there is to be reconciliation in the affected nations.
Families have a right to know where, when and by what hands their loves ones died.
Some are still alive especially children who where abducted from their families or born in captivity. By the untiring work of the mothers and grandmothers these children are being identified and families are being made whole again. We join them in their request to the United States government to open the files for the period of the military dictatorship. We believe that these files contain information that would lead to the reunion of more families. The opening of these files will ultimately lead to reconciliation between government and people.