The signing of the agreement was signed at the University of Talca by the rectors of CUECH with the Undersecretaries of Higher Education and Human Rights. Among its initiatives is promote and support compliance with the state obligation of truth, justice and reparation in the face of the serious violations of human rights experienced in the country during the military dictatorship.

With the objective of establishing a cooperation framework to promote and strengthen the human rights guaranteed by the Political Constitution, as well as the international treaties ratified by Chile, the Consortium of State Universities, CUECH, signed an agreement of understanding with the Undersecretaries of Education Higher and Human Rights, to generate strategies and mechanisms that contribute to collaborative work between these institutions.

One of the highlighted initiatives will be to promote and support compliance with the state obligation of truth, justice and reparation in the face of the serious human rights violations experienced in the country during the military dictatorship.

In addition, the actors committed to implementing collaborative activities, in terms of information exchange, academic training, research and links with the environment, promotion activities, promotion and dissemination of human rights.

In this regard, the President of CUECH, Doctor Osvaldo Corrales, Rector of the University of Valparaíso, stated that "as a Consortium of State Universities we have the civic, ethical and legal commitment to always promote human rights in the higher education system."

“This agreement with the Undersecretariats of Education and Human Rights aims to strengthen cooperation between our institutions in training and academic research on human rights and support compliance with the state obligation of truth, justice and reparation in Chile, among others. activities,” Corrales noted.

For his part, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana, pointed out that “public education has a mandate that is to promote a culture of human rights and democracy that is very relevant for the country. It has a dimension of not forgetting our past but also projecting a future of better coexistence. The State Universities are fulfilling their mission,” he emphasized.

Along the same lines, the Undersecretary of Human Rights, Xavier Altamirano, stated that the scope of this agreement covers “the broad catalog of human rights, where each house of studies can define within the framework of its regional strategies which topics to address and enable.” a virtuous training space. It is a permanent work of thinking about our society,” indicated the authority.

For the rector of the Metropolitan Technological University, UTEM, Marisol Durán, one of the main promoters of the agreement, “it is essential that this initiative to support the Human Rights organizations and citizens of the country has been carried out, especially when commemorating the 50 years of the Coup d'état. The State Universities are at the disposal of the country to do collaborative work on human rights and citizenship,” Durán stressed.

“With this signature we ratify our commitment and actions as public institutions with human rights and also with democracy. This means opening our spaces to bring together the community, hold discussions and train people in the values ​​of democracy,” said the rector of the University of Talca, Carlos Torres.

This agreement responds to the mandate of Law 21.091 which instructs that respect and promotion of human rights must always govern the performance of the higher education system, made up of the set of public organizations and services with jurisdiction in higher education matters, as well as as well as by higher education institutions, in relation to all members of their community, both in their training proposals, organizational development, as well as in work and learning relationships.

Source: CUECH