The Issue of Torture in Chile

Torture is a method of interrogation that has been used since the

beginning of the times, but in the last years, the United Nations have been
debating to decide whether this method should be legal or not. Chile is a
country with a large history of torture, mainly during the dictatorship of
Augusto Pinochet in the 70s and 80s. To try to change its past, the Chilean
government implemented a series of initiatives to reduce torture and
inhumane treatment, especially in prisons. Even though Chile has applied all
this initiatives, Chile still fails to comply with the Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
(Convention against Torture). Nowadays, Chiles position regarding torture is
totally against.
The Convention against Torture made a series of recommendations to
solve torture in Chile. The following are the most important
recommendations stated by the Convention against Torture:
Constitutional Reform: This idea would make a change in the
constitution to make torture more punishable.
Improve conditions of detention facilities: This would help to reduce
overcrowding leading to torture and ill-treatment.
If these and more suggestions are followed, torture in Chile would be a whole
different story. These suggestions are not only applicable to Chile, but to the
rest of countries in the world where torture is an actual problem.
Referring to solutions, the most relevant ones would be first, to have
people who enforce the laws. To do this, we could have a special department
of the police or the army specialized in the control and prevention of torture.
This department would be in charge of performing regular inspections in
detention facilities. To finance this department, a percentage of the taxes
paid by the Chilean population could be taken. Another solution to torture
would be to sign an international law that punishes torture in all countries so
the military authorities of other countries could escape to the sanction by
establishing prisons in other countries. A possible solution would be to permit
other countries to have an open access to the prisons and military centers so
they can perform regular inspections. This would help in the prevention of
torture because prisons authorities would know that at any time; an
inspection may be performed, which would cause authorities not to dare to
torture people. Probably the most important solution to torture is to clearly
define what torture is. One of the best definitions would be: the deliberate
or systematic infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more
persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to
make a confession or for any other reason. If these solutions are applied,
torture would probably disappear or reduce considerably in Chile.
1