THE DILEMMAS OF ACTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS IN AUGUSTO PINOCHET’S DICTATORSHIP

Abstract

Since its foundation in 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross has been active in areas of national conflicts and international wars, backed by what makes itcapable of international humanitarian law - the protection of human dignity in armed conflicts. During the Cold War, the organization presented a broader and more diffused role than had been witnessed, especially after the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the two additional protocols of 1977 that extended and legitimized their practices internationally. Latin American military dictatorships are located in the same context; therefore, the present work aims to investigate how the participation of the Red Cross in the Chilean case has developed. This scenario was propitious to the presence of the organization, since elements of repression against civilians, such as torture and political persecution, were important features of this regime, a serious disrespect for the rights that the International Committee of the Red Cross aims to protect. Taking it in consideration, it is argued that there was a limitation in the activities that compete for the Red Cross in Chile of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). To this goal, it will be used case study based on bibliographic review techniques on the subject, as well as access to secondary sources, such as the Conventions conducting the International Committee of the Red Cross activities.