A Chilean Christian organisation has condemned arson attacks against two Catholic churches on 18 October in Chile’s capital city of Santiago, in the Santiago Metropolitan Region.
Advocates Chile, an organisation comprising Christian legal professionals, issued a statement calling for human rights and in particular the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) to be upheld and respected as one of the foundations of a democratic society: “By promoting and valuing freedom of religion and belief, human rights are promoted and valued in general and this benefits all of society, whether or not its members are [Christian] believers, because we all hold at least some belief which should be respected by others. The foundations of our social coexistence must be built here.”
The San Francisco de Borja Church and La Asunción Church, located in Santiago city centre, were burnt down on 18 October amid demonstrations in the capital city commemorating the anniversary of the October 2019 protests. The protest was scheduled one week ahead of Chile’s national plebiscite to determine whether a new constitution will be drafted to amend the dictatorship-era constitution. According to Spanish newspaper El País, the 18 October demonstrations were initially peaceful, but turned violent in the afternoon.
In the statement, Advocates Chile call for “peace, also for forgiveness and to build a pluralistic society where all manifestations and beliefs have a place, with respect for those who think differently.”
Sergio Micco Aguayo, Director of Chile’s National Human Rights Institute (INDH) also issued a statement condemning the attacks and calling for a thorough investigation so that those responsible are held to account: “We condemn the burning of two churches; actions like this are reprehensible, made worse by the fact that when religious buildings are burnt down there is an indirect attack on freedom of conscience, which is fundamental to a person’s dignity. These crimes must be investigated effectively and urgently so that the truth about the perpetrators is known and justice is served.”
In recent years, Chile, which was ruled by a military dictatorship until 1990 when democracy was restored, has been heralded as Latin America’s ‘model’ democracy as human rights including FoRB have been generally respected. However, the latest church arson attacks follow dozens of churches destroyed by arson attacks since December 2015.
CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “Arson attacks on churches in Chile show a flagrant disregard for the right to freedom of religion or belief. We call on those responsible, whatever their motive, to cease targeting places of worship and to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief for people of all faiths and none. We join calls for thorough investigations into these latest attacks, while respecting the human rights of the population, to ensure that those responsible are held to account.”
Note to editors:
1. A copy of the statement by Advocates Chile (in Spanish) is available on request.