Key developments since May 2003: Humanitarian mine clearance in
northern Chile commenced in September 2003 in Region V at the Tejas Verdes
School of Military Engineers in San Antonio, where a total of 111 antipersonnel
mines and 21 antivehicle mines were cleared by June 2004. Chile joined CCW
Amended Protocol II on 15 October 2003.
Key developments since 1999: Chile ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 10
September 2001, becoming a State Party on 1 March 2002. Chile completed
destruction of its stockpile of 299,219 antipersonnel mines in August 2003, more
than two and a half years before its deadline. It revised downward the number
of antipersonnel mines retained for training from 28,647 to 6,245 mines. The
National Demining Commission, officially constituted on 19 August 2002, issued a
National Demining Plan on 10 January 2003. Humanitarian demining commenced in
August 2004. Landmine Monitor fieldwork has produced new information on mined
areas and revealed problems with inadequate fencing and warning signs in some
areas. Since 1999, there have been at least 13 new mine/UXO casualties in
Chile.
Mine Ban Policy
Chile signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified on 10 September
2001, and the treaty entered into force on 1 March 2002. A decree signed on 4
January 2002 and published in the Official Gazette on 9 March 2002 makes the
Mine Ban Treaty binding domestically, but does not include penal sanctions or
other measures specifically aimed at implementing the provisions of the
treaty.[1] The government has
said it considers existing arms control legislation that includes sanctions as
sufficient to handle implementation of the
treaty.[2] However, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is leading a consultative process for consideration
by the National Congress at the end of 2004 to establish if existing legislation
should be modified to deal with antipersonnel
mines.[3]
Since actively participating in the Ottawa Process, Chile has attended every
annual Meeting of States Parties, as well as the intersessional Standing
Committee meetings in Geneva, most recently in February and June 2004.
Regionally, Chile has attended seminars on landmines held in Argentina (November
2000), Perú (August 2003), and Ecuador (August 2004). It has voted in
favor of pro-ban UN General Assembly Resolutions every year since 1996,
including UNGA Resolution 58/53 of 8 December 2003. It has also supported
regional pro-ban declarations and resolutions. In November 2002, Chile hosted
the Fifth Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, which issued the
Santiago Declaration expressing, “support for the efforts of the UN, OAS,
and the various national demining programs to eliminate antipersonnel
landmines.”[4]
Chile submitted its third Article 7 report on 3 June
2004.[5]
Chile has made few statements during the extensive discussions that States
Parties have had on matters of interpretation and implementation related to
Articles 1, 2, and 3. Thus, it has not specifically made known its views on the
issues of joint military operations with non-States Parties, foreign stockpiling
and transit of antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or
antihandling devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training.
However, during the June 2004 meeting of the Standing Committee on General
Status and Operation of the Convention, Chile reacted favorably to a
“Non-Paper” circulated by the co-chairs, aimed at facilitating
conclusions on these issues by the Nairobi Review Conference. It said that a
review conference should be about conclusions, that the discussion was
absolutely relevant, and that the paper was a good basis for discussion and
possible consensus.[6]
In August 2004, Chile and Argentina announced they would jointly examine the
minimum number of mines needed by each country, with the aim of identifying that
minimum number based on actual plans for use in training and development, and
not on any stated maximum number to be
retained.[7] They circulated a
non-paper (dated 26 July 2004) on this at a First Review Conference preparatory
meeting in Geneva on 24 September 2004.
Chile deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Convention of
Conventional Weapons (CCW), and Amended Protocol II (Landmines), on 15 October
2003 and it attended the Fifth Annual Conference of States Parties in November
2003 as an observer.
In November 2002, the Institute for Political Ecology (IEP, Instituto de
Ecología Política), the ICBL’s representative in Chile,
brought landmine activists, researchers, and youth from around the region to
Santiago for a series of activities and events, including participation in the
Fifth Conference of Defense
Ministers.[8] Together with the
Institute for Strategic and International Security Studies (IDEESI), IEP also
held a mine action seminar at the Universidad de la República, attended
by mayors from mine-affected municipalities, as well as academics, the public
and media, during which the Landmine Monitor Chile researchers released their
first independent national report on
landmines.[9]
Production, Transfer and Use
Chile is a former producer, exporter, importer, and user of antipersonnel
landmines. Both the Army’s Fabricaciones Militares (FAMAE) and a private
company named Industrias Cardoen manufactured
landmines.[10] Chile has
reported producing at least six different types of antipersonnel mines: the MAPP
78-F2 and MAPT 78-F2 mines, both made by FAMAE in 1981; the MOD I (manufactured
1979), II (1980), IEC-II, and M-178 mines, all made by Cardoen. Chile also
reportedly manufactured the M-19 antivehicle mine and the Claymore-type
directional fragmentation M-18 mine, and Cardoen manufactured the U/I
fragmentation mine, according to one source, but none are listed in the Article
7 reports.[11]
Chile has stated that production and export stopped in
1985.[12] On 26 April 1999, the
then-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariano Fernández Amunátegui,
signed an official declaration imposing a unilateral moratorium on the
production, export, and use of new antipersonnel
mines.[13] While there is
little information on the recipients or types of antipersonnel mines produced
and transferred by Chile, Article 7 transparency reports have provided some new
information. For example, in March 2000 Ecuador declared it stockpiled 101,458
Chilean antipersonnel mines.[14]
Chile imported 300,000 M-14 antipersonnel mines from the United States in
1975.[15] According to
Chile’s Article 7 report, it imported M-35 antipersonnel mines from
Belgium.[16]
In the 1970s and 1980s, Chile planted landmines along its borders with
Argentina, Bolivia and Perú, in Region I, II in the north, Region V in
the center, and in region XII in the south of the country.
Stockpiling and Destruction
Before destroying its antipersonnel mines, Chile had a stockpile numbering
305,464 antipersonnel mines. It was not until the lead-up to an August 2002
stockpile destruction event that the Ministry of Defense for the first time
released official numbers on stockpiled
mines.[17]
During the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September 2003, Chile announced
that it had completed destruction of its antipersonnel mine stockpile in August
2003, more than two and a half years in advance of the treaty-mandated deadline
of March 2006.[18] A total of
299,219 mines were destroyed in several phases, starting in November 2000, with
the majority (206,831) destroyed in
2003.[19]
On 6 November 2000, Chile destroyed its first 2,000 M16 antipersonnel
mines.[20] On 13 September
2001, another 14,000 were
destroyed.[21] On 27 August
2002, the Army’s entire stockpile for Region I of 76,388 antipersonnel
mines was destroyed in an event attended by President Ricardo Lagos and Minister
of Defense Michelle Bachelet, at the Pampa Chaca military training
grounds.[22]
In May 2003, the entire stockpile held in Patagonia (Regions XI and XII),
109,058 antipersonnel mines, was destroyed in two separate events. On 8 May
2003, the Army destroyed 36,458 antipersonnel mines at the Las Bandurrias
military training grounds in Coyhaique, Region
XI.[23] The Army and Navy
jointly destroyed 72,600 antipersonnel mines at the Entre Vientos military
training grounds in Punta Arenas, Region XII, over a ten-day period, ending with
a ceremony on 9 May 2003 attended by the Minister of Defense, diplomats,
representatives of the OAS, and the Landmine Monitor
researcher.[24]
In August 2003, the last 97,733 antipersonnel mines were destroyed in four
separate events.[25] On 19
August 2003, the Army destroyed 12,561 mines and the Military Institute Command
destroyed 1,984 at the Río Colorado military grounds in the Metropolitan
Region (Santiago). On 21 August 2003, the Army destroyed 7,383 mines at the
Pampa Chaca military training grounds outside Arica, in Region I. The Army
destroyed 4,596 mines and the fourth division destroyed 12,057 mines in the
third destruction event, held 21 August 2003 at the Unihue military grounds near
Cauquenes, in Region VII. On 25 August 2003, the Army destroyed 59,192 mines
(119 Belgian M-35s and 59,073 US M-14 mines) at Santa Cruz, Calama, Region II in
a final destruction event attended by the Minister of Defense, Army
Commander-In-Chief General Juan Emilio Cheyre, local authorities and
representatives of international and civil society
organizations.[26]
Landmine Monitor was present for several destruction events, including the
final one. The destruction was carried out by the Army and Navy by open
detonation. Canada provided funding to support the costs of final round of
stockpile destruction, with assistance provided by the Organization of American
States (OAS).[27] Chile
reported that the final stockpile destruction cost $125,032, which should be
reimbursed in full by the
OAS.[28]
In February 2003, Chile announced that it had revised downward the number of
antipersonnel mines it would retain for training and development from an initial
total of 28,647 mines to a revised figure of 6,245
mines.[29] The mines will be
kept by the Army and Navy. In April 2004, Chile told Landmine Monitor that the
mines would be used for training and preparation of the demining units according
to the plans of each institution, and reported to the National Demining
Commission.[30]
Landmine Problem
Chile has reported that it has an estimated 123,443 mines emplaced in 37
different sites around the country, in Regions I and II (in the north of the
country), Region V (center) and Region XII
(south).[31] Previous estimates
put the number of mines emplaced along Chile’s border varying between
250,000 to one million, depending on the
source.[32]
According to the September 2002 Article 7 report, a total of 90,963 mines
were reported emplaced in three sectors of Region I (Tarapacá), 23,867
mines were reported in 23 sectors in Region II (Antofagasta), 8,490 mines were
reported in ten sectors in Region XII (Magallanes) including seven sectors on
five islands, and 123 mines were reported in the Valparaiso sector of Region
V.[33] The mines in Regions I,
II, and V were laid between 1973 and 1980; the mines in Region XII were laid in
1981 and 1983. The Article 7 reports specify the type and number of mines in
each sector but not the extent of mined
areas.[34] The Army has
previously reported a total of 293 minefields, located in Regions I, II and XII,
potentially affecting 17 municipalities, including three northern urban centers
of Antofagasta, Arica, and
Calama.[35]
There are differing opinions about whether emplaced mines shift over time due
to climatic conditions such as heavy rains. The Executive Secretary of the
National Demining Commission said that the only place in Chile where landmines
might not still be in the original location is in Quebrada de Escritos, a ravine
along the Peruvian border in Region I; this is why the perimeter of the entire
ravine is fenced off, not just of the minefield
itself.[36] The First
Division’s Commander-in-Chief has reportedly stated that mines could move
as much as one or two kilometers due to heavy rains and mudslides common during
the Bolivian or highland winter (Invierno Boliviano or Altiplano, December to
March).[37]
While no systematic or comprehensive assessment or survey has taken place to
determine the extent of Chile’s mine problem or the impact on civilians
living in mine-affected areas, Landmine Monitor has conducted field research
since February 2001 in the north and south of the country and which, to a
limited extent, gives an indication of the
impact.[38]
Regions I and II
Landmine Monitor visited a number of mine-affected areas in Region I and II
in northern Chile in March 2004. In Region I, north of Arica along the Peruvian
border, Landmine Monitor visited minefields located on either side of the
Chile-Perú international highway in Quebrada de Escritos, a ravine that
runs parallel to the border from the coast towards a high plateau. Near the
border crossing, Landmine Monitor observed antipersonnel and antivehicle mines
half-buried in the sand, reportedly dislodged in 1978 during a large
flood.[39] The Army is
uncertain about the location of all mines, and the entire ravine is doubly
fenced, not just the minefields themselves. The area is well-marked, and the
fences are in good
condition.[40] Along the
highway south of Iquique, a military practice zone littered with shooting range
debris and metal contains are signs that say, “Danger, Deadly Shooting
Range, Do Not Enter.”[41]
In Region II, Landmine Monitor visited the town of Ollagüe, located some
200 kilometers northeast of Calama near the Bolivian border. With the exception
of the minefield at Ascotán, most minefields are far from the town
itself. Ollagüe’s mayor, Carlos Reygadas, told Landmine Monitor that
the mine contamination was a vitally important issue, because of a surge in
tourism in the area, especially by Europeans who visit the volcanoes and salt
lakes. According to the mayor, the state-owned copper mining company Codelco
removed a minefield from the Ascotán salt lake in 1992 in order to
develop a project there. The National Forestry Service Conaf and other
government institutions intend on declaring some parts of Ollagüe protected
areas, including Ascotán. This has caused preoccupation, since the
minefield is close to houses and tourism routes. The mayor commented that the
Army consistently visits the
minefields.[42]
Conaf has begun to take a more active role in the landmine problem by
creating planes de sitios (site plans), documents outlining the development,
infrastructure and tourism flows in specific areas over the next five years, in
order to exclude areas near minefields from any possible tourism development.
Within this framework, the San Pedro de Atacama community has signed an
agreement with Conaf and is charging an entrance fee to the Valle de la Luna
Park in order to control the number of people who visit and to assure that
visitors stay on safe paths and in safe areas. These paths were mapped and
demarcated by geologists.[43]
The community is also interested in erecting “Danger, explosives”
signs in Valle de la Luna, and indigenous groups in the area have started to
demand that the mines be removed from land to which they have ancestral
rights.[44] In the town of San
Pedro, locals expressed concern over the mine and UXO affected areas in the
hills near Argentina and worry about the safety of tourists who ride bicycles
and horses in outlying
areas.[45] According to the
municipal administrator, the municipal government is committed to guaranteeing
the safety of visitors. “The [Army] Regiment has shown concern, and has
been combing Valle de la Luna and making sure there is not one single
antipersonnel mine, and there no danger for tourists.” The local
government is also willing to have teachers trained so that the mine problem can
be raised in schools.[46] In
July 2001, Conaf reported that there were mined areas in six state-protected
wilderness areas in Region I, II and XII, but no employees or visitors are known
to have been hurt by
mines.[47]
In March 2004, Landmine Monitor met with Lieutenant Colonel Fernando Romero
of the Reinforced Regiment No. 1 “Topater” in
Calama.[48] Romero told
Landmine Monitor that between 1978 and 2003 mines emplaced in approximately 30
minefields in Region II had been removed and destroyed as part of minefield
maintenance and mine removal training procedures. He added that climatic
factors, especially intensive rains, could cause mines to become displaced, and
this could provoke an accident during minefield maintenance. According to
Romero, the Army continuously checks and clears military practice areas. The
Army plans to meet with town council members, and tourism operators to discuss
the landmine problem. The acting director of the regional government tourism
office, Sernatur, told Landmine Monitor that one of their tourism projects is
the former nitrate town of Chacabuco. He said he had heard that the perimeter
of Chacabuco was mined and planned to discuss the issue with the Army and
government services involved in the
project.[49] In April 2004,
Landmine Monitor was informed that the National Demining Commission did not have
information on the possible mine problem in
Chacabuco.[50]
Several items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) have been reported in Region II.
In February 2004, a 30-mm artillery shell was found on the road between Calama
and the copper mine at Chuquicamata, in Region
II.[51] On 20 January 2003, two
105-mm projectiles were discovered outside Calama in an area that had formerly
been used for military practice. They were detonated by the military, who said
they had been there for at least forty years. On 26 March 2003, a 40-mm mortar
inscribed 1968 was found on the grounds of Mejillones port, just north of
Antofagasta in Region II.[52]
On 2 February 2003, an 81-mm US-manufactured mortar was found in a ravine
outside Antofagasta, Region
II.[53]
Region V
Chile has reported that 123 M-35 mines remain laid in a marked and fenced off
area in Tejas Verdes, San Antonio Sector of Region V, the country’s
densely populated central
region.[54] In June 2003,
Landmine Monitor inspected a minefield located on a hill above part of the Tejas
Verdes military regiment at Llo Lleo and across the street from private
residences. The minefield was removed between September 2003 and June 2004.
Region XII
On 7 February 2003, Landmine Monitor accepted an invitation by the Chilean
Navy to visit minefields on two Patagonian islands close to Argentina in the
Beagle Channel in Region XII, just north of Cape Horn—Isla Nueva and Isla
Picton—which are only accessible by
boat.[55] There is no tourism
on the islands, which are almost completely inaccessible unless one visits with
the assistance of the Chilean Navy. Landmine Monitor was able to verify that
the state of fencing and marking on the islands is very good.
Previous research by Landmine Monitor in the area of Region XII closer to
Punta Arenas confirmed the presence of a number of minefields. Human casualties
have never been reported, although the mines have killed some cows. None of the
locals consulted considered the minefields a hindrance to economic activity.
All the minefields viewed during field research were double-fenced and while
some were not very well marked, the minefields were generally better maintained
than those in the north of the country.
In 2003, several items of UXO were found in and around the capital of
Santiago. On 20 January 2003, a boy discovered a 60-mm rocket launcher in
Puente Alto, just south of Santiago, which he brought home, and his father in
turn brought it to the
police.[56] On 4 February 2003,
two rusty mortar projectiles, one active, were found in a backyard in the
residential neighborhood of Ñuñoa in
Santiago.[57]
Coordination and Planning
Chile’s National Demining Commission (Comisión Nacional del
Desminado, CNAD) was established by an official decree on 2 May 2002, officially
registered with the Comptroller General’s Office on 18 June 2002, and
officially constituted on 19 August
2002.[58] The Ministry of
Defense chairs the inter-agency
commission.[59] The Ministry of
Education has a permanent technical representative that participates at the
request of CNAD and the Ministry of Labor is involved in the implementation of
the National Demining Plan, although they are not permanent
members.[60] CNAD also informed
Landmine Monitor that “humanitarian demining is not an issue that should
be treated by State institutions exclusively, and it affects all Chileans. In
that sense, CNAD will seek to maintain work and informative relations with state
organizations and interested NGOs, and when possible will support their
activities.”[61]
The purpose of CNAD is to coordinate mine clearance and stockpile destruction
efforts, to establish strategies and priorities for the National Demining Plan,
and to receive and distribute national budget allocations and any funding from
external sources.[62] In August
2002, the government announced that the provision of humanitarian assistance
provided to survivors, their families and communities would also be an integral
part of CNAD’s
work.[63]
CNAD completed the National Demining Plan on 10 January
2003.[64] Information on the
plan’s strategies and priorities are periodically made available through
presentations and reporting, but the full plan is not accessible to the
public.[65] A CNAD official
told Landmine Monitor in June 2002 that it intends to start mine removal from
the inside out, clearing minefields furthest from the border and closest to
inhabited areas first and then moving out toward the
borders.[66] As a result of
concerns about how Chile will protect its border once the mines have been
removed, the government has made it clear in the past that it will carefully
study alternative means of protection before initiating the mine removal
process.[67]
Mine Clearance
Mine clearance in northern Chile officially began on 3 August 2004 with a
ceremony held at the northern end of Chacalluta Airport, 31 kilometers north of
Arica in Region I near the Peruvian border. The ceremony was attended by the
Minister of Defense, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, diplomatic
representatives (including from Perú and Bolivia), Landmine Monitor and
the media. It was estimated that in the first phase of mine clearance it would
take eight months for deminers from the Army's VI Division to clear 4,494
antipersonnel mines and 2,032 antivehicle mines from five minefields in the
northern sector of the
airport.[68] The Ministry of
Defense estimated that the clearance of the airport will cost the Ministry and
the Chilean Army a total of $575,000. In Region I, the Army’s
“Matucana” Regiment No. 6 announced in August 2003 that demining was
expected to begin in
2004.[69]
Prior to the start of humanitarian clearance in Region I in August 2004 the
only clearance operations underway in the country were in Region V at the Tejas
Verdes School of Military Engineers in San Antonio, where a total of 111
antipersonnel mines and 21 antivehicle mines were cleared between 1 September
2003 and 23 June 2004.[70] In
August 2004, the project was awaiting an inspection to certify completion of the
clearance.[71] During the
demining, nine Chilean Army officials and 16 sub-officials participated in a
month-long demining training course provided with the assistance of instructors
from the Spanish Army’s Hoyo de Manzanares International Demining
Center.[72]
In a symbolic act, Chile destroyed 382 M-14 emplaced antipersonnel mines in
the Baquedano sector, Region I in November 2002. Chile reported that this
clearance was carried for training
purposes.[73]
Chile aims to complete demining of the country by its 2011 treaty-mandated
ten-year deadline.[74] The
government has indicated that it requires outside support to meet its treaty
demining obligation (see Mine Action
Funding).[75] According to the
CNAD, the mine clearance plans will be made public once financial resources to
implement it become available and clearance take into account information
provided by military, regional and provincial
authorities.[76]
According to the CNAD, the Army and Navy have provided engineer units with
demining specialists in Arica (Region I), Calama (Region II), San Antonio
(Region V) and Punta Arenas (Region XII). The Army has continued to carry out
minefield maintenance and demining training, and it is purchasing equipment for
the units that will carry out
clearance.[77] In June 2003,
CNAD reported to Landmine Monitor that over three years 240 deminers had been
training to carry out mine clearance
operations.[78]
Mine clearance in Chile can be difficult due to factors including the extreme
geography, terrain and climate. In the northern Region I, for example, no mine
removal can be done in January, February and March due to the torrential rains
of the Bolivian winter; while in the extreme south, mine removal can only be
done in those same months. During the Landmine Monitor research trip to the
Patagonian islands of Nueva and Picton, the Marine official in charge of Navy
minefield maintenance said that because of the terrain’s characteristics
on the islands (mossy and tundra-like) the mines would not be removed, but
rather destroyed in situ with electric wire. This was possible because the Navy
had all the original registries that indicate the exact number of mines per
field.[79]
Demining along Chile’s northern border with Perú has been raised
in several bilateral discussions. On 16 April 2004, Chile and Perú
discussed implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty and proposals for cooperation
during the Third Meeting of the Security and Defense Committee Perú-Chile
(COSEDE) in Lima.[80] On 18
November 2003, the Foreign Ministers of Chile and Perú issued a joint
declaration that included a decision to promote, within the Security and Defense
Committee Perú-Chile (COSEDE), discussions on the eradication of mines
emplaced along the common
border.[81] On 9 September
2001, the Chile-Perú Permanent Committee on Consultations and Policy
Coordination, established July 2001, met for the first time and the Ministers of
Foreign Affairs and Defense of both countries agreed on a ten-point declaration
that included a commitment to eradicate landmines from their common border as
soon as possible.[82] One of
the first activities agreed on was simultaneous stockpile destruction events on
13 September 2001 in Calama, Chile and Pucusana,
Perú.[83] Similarly,
consultations on the demining of Chile’s border with Bolivia have
continued, but no actual mine clearance has
begun.[84]
The Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) reported in January 2004 that
it has signed an agreement with the Chilean Army to study the possibility of
using nuclear technology to detect mines. The study’s first stage has
already finished, and consisted of studying the different mines used in Chile
and their components, and taking soil samples from the different mined areas in
the country.[85]
Mine Risk Education
There are no official mine risk education (MRE) programs currently available
in Chile, but the government has reported ten measures used to warn the
population about landmine dangers, from fencing to media
messages.[86] In February 2003,
the Army’s First Division re-released a full-color bilingual
(English-Spanish) brochure entitled “Seguridad y Prevención”
(Safety and Prevention) that was originally printed in July 2001. The brochure
is designed for tourists visiting Region II and is available from local
government tourism offices and from the Army regiments. It lists ten ways in
which visitors can avoid mine incidents and provides pictures of the different
kinds of explosives a visitor may come across. It acknowledges that mines can
shift due to heavy rains and recommends that visitors stay on roads at all
times. It also provides emergency phone numbers for military regiments and
hospitals in the area.[87]
CNAD has told Landmine Monitor that its minefield warning signs meet
international standards. When asked about use of indigenous local languages in
addition to Spanish, CNAD reported that if deemed convenient signage in the
Aymará language is possible, and communal, provincial and regional
authorities can solicit CNAD for assistance with the implementation of MRE
ampaigns conforming to cultural and linguistic
necessities.[88]
The Canadian Embassy in Chile has provided C$4,880 toward production of a
comic-style book produced by the Group of Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance
Survivors of the Americas (GSMMA, Grupo de Sobrevivientes de Minas AP y
Municiones sin Estallar de las
Américas).[89]
An environmental youth NGO named Ecoclubes created a thematic working group
on landmines at its summer school in early 2003 and has begun a campaign
implemented by ten local Ecoclubes in different towns. Landmine Monitor
facilitated a training workshop during the Fifth National Meeting of Ecoclubes
in Arica from 7-9 November
2003.[90]
In November 1999, the National Foundation for Children’s Rights
presided by Senator Mariano Ruiz Ezquide held a seminar on landmines at which it
called for the government to begin a mine prevention
program.[91] In November 2002,
IEP organized a meeting on landmines with mayors of mine-affected municipalities
from the north and south of the country.
Mine Action Funding and Assistance
In a May 2003 presentation, the Organization of American States, estimated
financial resources and requirements for the period 2003-2007 for the region
(mostly Chile and Argentina) at US$2.1 million: $200,000 for 2003; $400,000 for
2004; $500,000 for 2005; $500,000 for 2006; and $500,000 for
2007.[92]
Chile and the OAS signed a framework agreement on 15 September 2003 to cover
stockpile destruction-related expenses and provide specialized support for the
government to secure international funding for mine clearance.
In October 2003, following a request by CNAD, a team from the US government
visited Chile to determine the country’s humanitarian demining
needs.[93] It was decided that
for now, Chile would qualify for assistance under the Department of Defense
Humanitarian Mine Action program, with as yet unspecified provisions for
training and small equipment
transfers.[94] Chile has
discussed its demining assistance needs with other governments, including
Slovakia[95] and Nicaragua.
Reportedly, in March 2004, Chile and Nicaragua’s Ministers of Defense
signed an accord in Santiago to cooperate in mine clearance.[96]
Chile’s CNAD has had some success in negotiating material rather than
financial aid to speed along Chile’s demining
process.[97] It considers
requests of material aid to be more transparent and they generally get speedier
responses than financial aid requests. The OAS Office of the General
Secretary’s Unit for the Promotion of Democracy donated $150,000 in
equipment for demining in Tejas Verdes and Chacalluta, including tool sets,
spider boots, hand and chest protectors, visors, shields, and even mobile
sleeping units for deminers in Arica.
For 2004, CLP 90,212,000 (approximately $145,000) was approved for
CNAD.[98] In 2003, CNAD’s
national budget allocation was CLP 88,513,000 (approximately $142,000), but a
separate amount of US$129,000 was allocated for stockpile
destruction.[99] For 2002, CNAD
received a budget allocation of CLP$90 million ($130,000), which essentially
covered administrative and start-up
costs.[100]
On 4 December 2000, Chile and Ecuador signed an agreement for the Chilean
Army to assist with the Ecuadorian clearance program along the border with
Perú. In July 2001, the Engineering Command of the Army said that three
members of the Engineer Arm of the Chilean Army would travel to Ecuador for a
period of four months to assist in the humanitarian demining project on the
border between Ecuador and Perú.
In the past, Chile has contributed military personnel to mine clearance
efforts of the OAS in Central
America.[101] In April 2004, the
Minister of Defense told media that Chilean troops participating in a
Canadian-led brigade in Bosnia and Herzegovina had been involved in locating
minefields.[102]
Landmine Casualties
In 2003, Landmine Monitor identified two civilian landmine/UXO casualties;
according to CNAD, there had been no incidents involving military
personnel.[103] On 21 March
2003, a 26-year-old Peruvian was injured after stepping on a landmine while
entering Chile illegally from Perú through the Quebrada de Escritos pass.
He was evacuated by a special unit of army engineers and deminers and after
eight hours arrived at the Juan Noé hospital in
Arica.[104] On 15 January, in a
military zone near Mamiña, a 23-year-old indigenous Aymará man
suffered injuries to both hands while handling an explosive that media reported
was an antipersonnel mine.[105]
On 4 June 2004, three brothers ages 11, 13, and 14 years were injured when an
explosive artifact they had found exploded, causing a serious eye injury to the
youngest boy.[106]
In April 2004, CNAD told Landmine Monitor that it had a database of mine/UXO
incidents and casualties that was being
reviewed.[107]
Between 1999 and 2002, Landmine Monitor identified eight mine/UXO casualties
(two killed and six injured) in Chile: one military officer injured in 2002;
three civilians injured and a military officer killed in 2001; a Chilean Army
conscript injured in 2000; a Peruvian civilian killed and a Chilean Army
conscript injured in 1999.[108]
According to Chilean media, between 1976 and 1999, 26 civilians were injured
and seven killed by landmines. In the same period, landmines injured 50 Chilean
military personnel and killed
five.[109]
Landmine Monitor visited several rural towns in northern Chile between 2001
and 2003, and to date identified only one young mine survivor living in
Villablanca, three hours walking distance from the “Apacheta de Oje”
minefield. Chile’s minefields are so isolated and rural that it is very
possible that incidents have happened over the years without being reported.
Survivor Assistance and Disability Policy and Practice
Chilean military personnel injured by mines and UXO receive care in military
hospitals. There are no specific services available through the public health
system, private health institutions or NGOs for civilian landmine survivors in
Chile.[110] The Fondo Nacional
de Discapacitados (National Fund for the Disabled) provides social assistance
for persons with disabilities.
At the stockpile destruction event in Region I in August 2002, President
Lagos recognized the approximately 70 landmine casualties in Chile, and
acknowledged that the State has a responsibility for these
incidents.[111] At this time,
the government announced that assistance to survivors, their families and
communities would be an integral part of CNAD’s
work.[112] One of the
objectives of the CNAD is to coordinate the efforts of various government
agencies that deal with mine victim
assistance.[113]
On 27 February 2002, Chile ratified the OAS Inter-American Convention on the
Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with
Disabilities.[114]
The 1994 Law 19,284, Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities
(Integración Social de las Personas con Discapacidad), and a series of
modifications protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Persons with
disability must be registered in the National Disabled Registry in order to
receive benefits and
services.[115]
According to the CNAD, Law 18.948 of the Armed Forces covers military
personnel injured while in service. The law provides for general assistance to
injured personnel, not specifically landmine
survivors.[116]
In November 2003, Chile participated in a Regional Victim Assistance Seminar
in Colombia. A Chilean UXO survivor participated in the Raising the Voices
training program in 2001.
[1] Promulga la Convención sobre la
Prohibición del Empleo, Almacenamiento, Producción y Transferencia
de Minas Antipersonal y sobre su Destrucción, Normas Generales, Diario
Oficial Documento 4, 2002, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Subsecretario de
Relaciones Exteriores, 9 March
2002. [2] Response to LM Questionnaire
by Col. Rafael Guerra Ibarra, Executive Secretary, National Demining Commission
(CNAD), Ministry of National Defense, 26 April
2004. [3] Ibid; Notes taken by
Landmine Monitor (MAC), Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation
of the Convention, 9 February 2004. In August 2003, Chile reported that a
project for “legal norms for AP mine action” was being considered by
the Ministry of the Interior, together with legal advisors from the Ministries
of Defense and Justice. Presentation by Chile, Americas Regional Mine Action
Seminal, Lima, 14-15 August 2003. [4]
The declaration expressed “satisfaction” with the progress achieved
by members of the Mine Ban Treaty, but recommended that states “ratify and
comply” with the Convention on Conventional Weapons. The language
represented an apparent compromise with the United States, one of the two
non-signatories to the Mine Ban Treaty from the region. Fifth Conference of
Defense Ministers of the Americas, “Declaración de Santiago de
Chile,” Santiago, 22 November
2002. [5] The report is dated 30 April
2004 and covers the period from 30 April 2003 to 30 April 2004. See also Article
7 reports submitted: 30 April 2003 (for the period 6 September 2002 – 30
April 2003), and 5 September 2002 (for the period 9 March 2002 – 5
September 2002). [6] Oral remarks by
Chile, Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention,
Geneva, 25 June 2004 (Landmine Monitor/HRW
notes). [7] Landmine Monitor (MAC)
notes taken on interventions by Argentina and Chile, Regional Mine Action
Seminar, Quito, 13 August 2004. [8]
IEP has published a series of articles about Chile’s landmine problem on
its website, available at www.iepe.org/econoticias
. [9] Landmine Monitor Chile (Dana
Holahan, Fabiola Fariña and Louise Egan), “Minas Antipersonal en
Chile: Fantasmas del pasado, presente y futuro” (Antipersonnel mines in
Chile: Ghosts of the past, present and future), November
2002. [10] Jane’s Mines and Mine
Clearance, on-line update, 19 November
1999. [11] US Department of Defense,
ORDATA Online, maic.jmu.edu/ordata,
accessed on 27 May 2004. [12] Response
to LM Questionnaire by the Foreign Ministry of Chile, through its Ambassador to
Uruguay, Amb. Augusto Bermúdez Arancibia, 2 February 1999; Article 7
Report, Form A, 5 September 2002. “declara que, reitera a la comunidad
internacional su firme y decidido compromiso asumido desde 1985, de no producir,
exportar, importar e instalar nuevas minas terrestres antipersonal.”
(Chile reiterates to the international community its firm and decided
commitment, made in 1985, not to produce, export, import or lay new
landmines). [13] Declaración
Oficial del Gobierno de la República de Chile, “Moratoria
Unilateral en la Producción, Exportación, Importación, e
Instalación de Nuevas Minas Terrestres Antipersonal,” Santiago, 26
April 1999. [14] Ecuador’s
Article 7 Report, Form B, 29 March 2000. According to the ORDATA online
database, it was the MAPP 78 F2 AP blast
mine. [15] US Army, Armament,
Munitions, and Chemical Command (USAMCCOM), Letter to Human Rights Watch, 25
August 1993, and attached statistical
tables. [16] See Article 7 Report,
Form B, 30 April 2003. [17] Ministry
of Defense, “Antecedentes relevantes destrucción de minas
antipersonal,” Press Release, 27 August
2002. [18] Statement by Amb. Luis
Winter, Delegation of Chile, Fifth Meeting of States Parties, Bangkok, 16
September 2003. Amb. Winter, himself a landmine survivor, in Bangkok donated a
book written during his own personal process of rehabilitation, “Acepta
las Piedras del Camino” (Accept the Stones on the
Road). [19] Article 7 Report, Form G,
3 June 2004. Chile’s Article 7 Report, Form B, 30 April 2003, cited a
stockpile of 213,076 antipersonnel mines. Due to an error in addition,
Chile’s September 2002 report cited a stockpile of 211,076 mines. Article
7 Report, Form B, 5 September
2002. [20] Notes taken by Landmine
Monitor researcher, Regional Seminar on Stockpile Destruction in the Americas,
Buenos Aires, 6 November 2000. [21]
Article 7 Report, Form F, 5 September 2002. For details, see Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, p. 172. [22] Article 7
Report, Form F, 5 September 2002. Destroyed were 71,635 M-14s, 4,603 M-35s, and
150 MAPP 78-F2s. Landmine Monitor Chile researchers attended the destruction.
After the event, the Defense Ministry issued a press release denying that any
antivehicle mines had been destroyed, as had been incorrectly reported by the
local press. Ministry of Defense, “Ministerio de Defensa Nacional
desmiente destrucción de minas antitanque,” Press Release, 28
August 2002. [23] These were M-14,
78-F2, MOD 1 and IEC II mines. Article 7 Report, Form F, 30 April 2003;
intervention by Col. Rafael Guerra, CNAD, Standing Committee on Stockpile
Destruction, Geneva, 15 May 2003 (Landmine Monitor/MAC notes); Defense Ministry
official destruction certificate, “Acta de Destrucción,” Las
Bandurrias, Coyhaique, XI Región, 8 May
2003. [24] The 72,600 antipersonnel
mines destroyed were: 34,972 M-14; 4,004 FAMAE PR (not included in the list of
stockpiled mines); 5,054 M-35; 15,937 Cardoen Mod. I; 9,689 Cardoen Mod. II; 817
Cardoen M-178; and 2,127 MAPP 78-F2 mines. Article 7 Report, Form F, 30 April
2003; “Ejército destruye 2.860 minas antipersonales en zona
austral,” ORBE (Punta Arenas), 25 April 2003; “Chile destruye minas
antipersonales y mejora relación vecinal” Reuters (Punta Arenas),
10 May 2003; Ministry of Defense, “Ministra de Defensa Nacional Encabeza
Destrucción de Todas las Minas Antipersonal en Stock en la XI
Región,” Press Release, 8 May 2003; Ministry of Defense,
“Ministra de Defensa Nacional Encabeza Destrucción de la Totalidad
de las Minas Antipersonal de la Zona Austral,” Press Release, 9 May
2003. [25] For details on the number
of mine types see Article 7 Report, Form G, 3 June
2004. [26] See Ministry of Defense,
“Ministra Michelle Bachelet ordena nueva destrucción de minas
antipersonal en diversos puntos del país,” Press Release, 5 August
2003; “Chile comienza destrucción de otras 97 mil minas
antipersonales,” El Mostrador (Santiago), 5 August 2003;
“Eliminarán mas de 7 mil minas antipersonales en I°
Región,” El Mostrador, 10 August 2003; “Ejército
prepara traslado de minas,” La Estrella de Arica, 15 August 2003; Ministry
of Defense, “Ministra Bachelet encabezó destrucción final de
totalidad de minas antipersonal almacenadas,” Press Release, 25 August
2003. [27] OAS, “Chile-OAS
Framework Agreement will boost mine-clearing,” Press Release E-177/0315
September 2003. [28] Article 7, Form
J, Sections 3 and 4, 3 June 2004. [29]
Chile had initially stated that 28,647 mines would be retained. See Article 7
Report, Form D, 5 September 2002. At the February 2003 Standing Committee
meetings, Chile reported that it was reducing the number to a total of 18,656
mines, but this number was also under revision. In its second Article 7 report,
Chile reported a further reduction to 6,245 mines, consisting of: 2,023 M-14,
1,643 MAPP 78-F2, 835 M-35, 561 MOD I, 437 MOD II, 400 MOD. IEC-II, 200 MAPT
78-F2, 100 M-178, 41 M-2 A4, four M-16, and one M-16 A-1. See Article 7 Report,
Form D, 30 April 2003. [30] Response
by CNAD, 26 April 2004. [31] This
number is 782 more mines than the 122,661 total reported in Chile’s
September 2002 Article 7 report, accounted by an additional 1,194 M-14 mines in
Sector Noreste de Arica (Region I); 382 fewer M-14 mines in Sector Baquedano in
the northern zone that was not listed again; and 30 fewer M-14 AP mines in
Sector Cerro Inacaliri in Region II. The 382 M-14 AP mines in Sector Baquedano
in the northern zone were reportedly cleared in November 2002. See Article 7
Report, Forms D and G, 30 April 2003; Article 7 Report, Form C, Table 1, 3 June
2004. [32] See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 393-394 and footnotes for
details. [33] Article 7 Report, Form
C, 5 September 2002. [34] Article 7,
Form C, 3 June 2004. [35]
“Financiamiento detiene desminado,” La Estrella de Arica (Arica), 10
April 2001; telephone interview with Elir Rojas, Andes Sur Action Team, 3 May
2001. For a detailed description of mined areas in Regions I and II, see
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
395-397. [36] Presentations made by
Col. Guerra, CNAD, at the “¡Minas
Antipersonal!...¿problemática latente en nuestras fronteras?”
seminar in Iquique, 28 April 2003 and at a class given to journalists studying
to be peace operations correspondents at the War Academy Joint Center for Peace
Operations on 5 December 2003. [37]
“Destruirán 50 mil minas terrestres,” El Mercurio de
Antofagasta, 14 May 2003. [38] See
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 395-399 for research carried out in February
2001 in Region I and II; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 172-173 for research
carried out in Region I, II and XII in January and March 2002; and Landmine
Monitor Report 2003, p. 168-170 for research carried out in Region I, II, V, and
XII between November 2002 and March
2003. [39] Landmine Monitor has
photographs of the exposed mines, Quebrada de Escritos, 16 March
2004. [40] Landmine Monitor field
visit to Quebrada de Escritos, 16 March
2004. [41] Landmine Monitor field
visit to Iquique, 15 March 2004. See also Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p.
168. [42] Interview with Mayor Carlos
Reygada, Ollagüe, 9 March 2004. See also previous field visits in Landmine
Monitor Report 2003, p. 168-170. [43]
Interview with Eduardo Rodríguez, Chief of Wildlife Patrimony, Conaf
Region II, Antofagasta, 12 March
2004. [44]
Ibid. [45] Interview with Iván
Pérez, Paramedic, San Pedro Hospital, 11 March 2004 and interview with
Carlos Torres, owner of San Pedro Hotel, 11 March
2004. [46] Interview with Hugo
Miranda, Administrator, Municipality of San Pedro de Atacama, 11 March
2004. [47] Fax from Carlos Weber,
Executive Director, Conaf, 27 July 2001. See also, “Urgencia
Humanitaria,” El Diario Austral de Osorno, 14 November
2000. [48] Interview with Lt. Col.
Fernando Romero, Topater Regiment, Calama, 9 March
2004. [49] Interview with Gustavo
Herrera, Sernatur Acting Director for Region II, Antofagasta, 6 March 2004. See
Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 169 for a previous field visit to
Chacabuco. [50] Response by CNAD, 26
April 2004. [51] Information provided
by Lt. Col. Fernando Romero, Topater Regiment, 9 March 2004. The shell was found
after information was provided by Dr. Enrique Larenas, father of a UXO
survivor. [52] “Peligroso
mortero descubren en Megapuerto,” El Mercurio de Antofagasta, 27 March
2003. [53] “Detonan proyectil de
guerra en quebrada,” El Mercurio de Antofagasta, 3 February
2003. [54] Article 7 Report, Form C, 5
September 2002. [55] See Landmine
Monitor Report 2003, p. 169-170. [56]
“Joven encuentra cohete antitanque en Puente Alto,” Diario El
Mostrador, 21 January 2003. [57]
“Hallan dos proyectiles en patio de Ñuñoa,” Las
Últimas Noticias (Santiago), 5 February
2003. [58] Ministry of Defense, Press
Release, 27 August 2002. [59]
Interview with Col. Rafael Guerra, CNAD, 18 March
2003. [60] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [61]
Ibid. [62] Interview with Ramón
Hormazábal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Santiago, 22 November 2001;
interview with Col. Patricio Rojas, Ministry of Defense, Santiago, 23 January
2002. [63] Ministry of Defense, Press
Release, 27 August 2002. [64]
Interview with Col. Rafael Guerra, CNAD, 18 March
2003. [65] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [66] Interview with Col.
Patricio Rojas, CNAD, Santiago, 26 June
2002. [67] “Gobierno analiza
refuerzo de seguridad fronteriza tras retiro de minas,” Radio Cooperativa
(Santiago), 10 October 2002. [68]
“Chile comienza a cumplir con el desminado,” La Estrella de Arica, 4
August 2004; Ministry of Defence, “Ministra de Defensa Nacional encabeza
operación de levantamiento de campos minados en zonas fronterizas,”
Press Release, 31 July 2004. [69]
“Eliminarán más de 7 mil minas antipersonales en I°
Región,” El Mostrador, 10 August
2003. [70] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [71] Interview with Col. Rafael
Guerra, CNAD, 6 August 2004. [72]
Article 7, Form J, Section 1, 3 June
2004. [73] Article 7 Report, Forms F
and G, 30 April 2003. [74]
Intervention by CNAD, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, 15 May
2003. [75]
Ibid. [76] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [77]
Ibid. [78] Interview with Col. Rafael
Guerra, CNAD, 10 June 2003. [79]
Interview with Sub-Official Pino, Isla Nueva and Isla Picton, 7 February 2003.
Information about the Navy’s registries was also officially provided by
the Navy in a letter from Third Naval Zone Commander in Chief Rear Admiral
Arturo Ojeda Zernott, dated 7 March
2002. [80] Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Perú, “III Reunión del Comité de Seguridad y
Defensa Perú-Chile (COSEDE),” Press Release 189-04, 16 April
2004. [81] Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Chile and Perú, Joint Declaration, 18 November
2003. [82] “Cancilleres y
ministros de defensa de Perú y Chile acuerdan erradicar minas,”
Agence France Presse (Lima), 9 September
2001. [83] “Dan primer paso
reducir gastos militares,” El Comercio (Lima), 10 September 2001;
“Ejército destruye 14.000 minas antipersonales en el norte de
Chile,” Agence France Presse (Calama), 13 September
2001. [84] There was one report that
on 9 December 1999, Chilean deminers had cleared an area of 13,500 square meters
in Portezuelo de Tambo Quemado near the Bolivian border, destroying 250 M-14
antipersonnel mines and 27 M-15 antivehicle mines. “Concluyo primera
operacion de desminado,” El Mercurio (Santiago), 4 December 1999;
“277 landmines destroyed,” MISNA (Tambo Quemado), 9 December 1999.
According to CNAD, there were no clearance operations along the border with
Bolivia. Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [85] Boletín de la
Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear, “Minas antipersonales
pueden detectarse con técnicas nucleares,” January 2004.
[86] Article 7 Report, Form I, 5
September 2002. [87] See Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, p. 174-175; and Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 173
including details of the 2002/2003 summer safety
campaign. [88] Response by CNAD, 26
April 2004. [89] Canadian Landmine
Fund, “Reclaiming Land, Rebuilding Lives, 2002-2003,” p. 20; Also
see Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p.
173. [90] Landmine Monitor researcher
Dana Holahan participated in the meeting in November 2003 and facilitated the
workshop on landmines in Chile. [91]
Fundación por los Derechos del Niño, “Acuerdo de Compromiso
y Tareas para la Prevención y Asistencia en Comunas con Zonas
Minadas,” Valparaíso, 15 November
1999. [92] OAS, “Mine Action
Program: Making the Western Hemisphere landmine-safe,” Resource
Mobilization: Projection of Financial Resources/Requirements 2003-2007, p. 6.
Presentation at the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the
Convention, Geneva, 12 May 2003. [93]
The assessment team met with Landmine Monitor researchers Dana Holahan and
Fabiola Fariña, who provided their view of Chile’s demining needs
and priorities and presented the team with a document entitled “Documento
de opinión acerca de la situación de minas terrestres antipersonal
en Chile” (Opinion paper about the antipersonnel mine situation in Chile).
Article 7, Form J, Section 3, 3 June
2004. [94] Email from Jeffrey Galvin,
Second Secretary, US Embassy Santiago, Santiago, 20 April
2004. [95] In May 2004, media reported
that Slovak Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok visited Chile and
reportedly discussed a demining project for Chile with María Soledad
Alvear, Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs. “Deputy Foreign Affairs
Minister Discussed a Mine Clearing Contract with Chile,” Slovenska Tlacova
Agentura (Bratislava), 6 May
2004. [96] “Nicaragua, Chile
sign accord to remove landmines,” EFE (Santiago), 16 March
2004. [97] Article 7, Form J, Section
2, 30 April 2004. [98] US Dollar
amounts calculated at the rate of CLP$622=US$1, 1 June
2004. [99] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [100] In 2001-2003 the Chilean
peso fluctuated from CLP$650=US$1 to
CLP$800:US$1. [101] See Landmine
Monitor Report 1999, p. 292. [102]
Ministry of Defense, “Declaraciones de la Ministra de Defensa Nacional,
Michelle Bachelet Jeria, en conferencia telefónica con los medios de
comunicación,” Press Release, 24 April
2004. [103] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [104] “Le explotó
mina a ‘burrero’ peruano,” La Estrella de Arica, 22 March
2003; “Peruano narco sufre amputación por mina,” Las
Últimas Noticias, 22 March
2003. [105] “Joven herido por
mina antipersonal,” La Estrella de Iquique, 15 January 2003; “Mina
antipersonal hirió a aymará de Chile,” AFP (Santiago), 15
January 2003. [106] “Grave menor
herido por explosivos,” Estrella del Norte (Antofagasta), 4 June
2004. [107] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004. [108] For details see Landmine
Monitor Report 2003, pp. 172-173; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 175; Landmine
Monitor Report 2001, pp. 401-402; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
312. [109] “Ejército
confirma intención de retirar minas antipersonales,” La Hora
(Santiago), 25 November 1999. [110]
See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 312 and Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
402. [111] “Chile
iniciará retiro de minas en frontera con el Perú,” El
Peruano (Lima, Perú), 9 September
2002. [112] Ministry of Defense, Press
Release, 27 August 2002. [113]
Response by CNAD, 26 April 2004. [114]
OAS, “Chile ratifica convención Interamericana para eliminar
discriminación contra discapacitados,” Press Release, 27 February
2002. [115] For more information see
entry on Chile in Center for International Rehabilitation, “International
Disability Rights Monitor,” available at www.cirnetwork.org/idrm/index.cfm#
. [116] Response by CNAD, 26 April
2004.