"At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric, I am representing Luxembourg today, on 11 September 2023, at the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the military coup in Chile."
This coup d'état against the democratically elected President Allende ended in enormous suffering, torture and the disappearance of thousands of Chileans.
The coup brought to power the dictator General Augusto Pinochet, who imposed a military dictatorship on the Chilean people from 1973 to 1990.
In 2023, this commemoration will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has just mentioned it.
At a time when the world is facing flagrant violations of international law, as well as anti-democratic pressures on every continent, the defence of the universal rules of democracy is as important as ever.
Disrespect for a nation's sovereignty, and the violent overthrow of a government, always have an adverse impact on the observance of human rights and the interests of the people.
May today's commemoration in Santiago inspire the world to recognise and accept that only respect for the rule of law and human rights will make it a better and fairer place.
Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs