Where are they? The experiences of mothers searching for their children who were detained and disappeared in Osorno during the civil-military dictatorship in Chile from 1973 to 1990

Abstract

This text explores the search experiences of women who have spent years trying to find their missing sons and daughters, who were imprisoned during the Chilean civic-military dictatorship (1973-1990). From an intersectional perspective, the article analyzes the search strategies and demands for justice employed by women organized in the Association of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in southern Chile, specifically in Osorno. Through in-depth interviews and consultation of primary sources located in various archives, such as the Vicariate of Solidarity and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, it examines the historical trajectories of women’s lives, from youth to old age, as they continue to demand from the Chilean State the legitimate information regarding the whereabouts of their disappeared children.