One Gigantic Prison
The Report of the Fact-Finding Mission to Chile, Argentina and Uruguay

Publisher:  Inter-Church Committee on Chile, Toronto, Canada
Year Published:  1976
Pages:  84pp   Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX189

Three Canadian MPs report on human rights violations in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Abstract: 
After confirming interviews with high officials of the Chilean Government, the Junta suddenly announced, on the day of their arrival, that the Canadian Parliamentarians would not be allowed to enter the country. They then spent ten days studying the situation in Argentina and Uruguay on a trip sponsored by the Inter-Church Committee on Chile. In their report the MP's and the Churches called the conditions in the countries they visited "grim" and expressed concern about the "grave situation" of human rights violations. In Argentina, at least 17,000 people have been detained, killed, or simply vanished since March. The struggle of the labor unions and of church and community workers is documented. The most desperate people are the 20,000 refugees from Uruguay or Chile who sought asylum. Their immunity in UN hostels has already been violated by police and right wing gangs. The Argentinean Government has recently ordered all those without permanent residence to register. If a third country cannot be found, many refugees may find themselves being shipped back to "reception" committees in their country of origin. Canada meanwhile continues to act very slowly in accepting application, treating most cases in the usual manner, taking about six months to process them and judging eligibility more on the point system and manpower needs than on their grave personal situation. The MPs have urged the Canadian Government to speed the process of admission and recommended that Canada cut off loan or grant programs until these repressive regimes take "positive action towards the restoration of human rights." An important part of the report contains actual accounts from individuals (The Peoples' Report.)