For decades, Colonia Dignidad in Chile was a place of horror: Under German leadership, children were abused, and other grave crimes were committed from the 1960s on. During the civilian-military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet (1973–1990), and in close complicity with the Colonia leaders, the Chilean secret police tortured, murdered and disappeared opposition activists. To this day, German authorities continue to shield the perpetrators of those crimes. Now, the Chilean government has taken a historic step, deciding to expropriate 117 hectares of land from the German colony, now known as Villa Baviera. The soon-to-be-expropriated areas include the house of the deceased cult leader Paul Schäfer and mass graves of the disappeared.
In a conversation with etos.media, Margarita Romero Méndez, chairwoman of the Chilean “Association for Memory and Human Rights Colonia Dignidad” (AMCD), explains why this step is not only crucial for confronting the past, but also remains a litmus test for Germany’s willingness to address the crimes of its own perpetrators.
etos.media: What significance does your association attach to the start of the expropriation process?
Margarita Romero Méndez: Firstly, we would like to express that we welcome President Gabriel Boric’s announcement and subsequent signing of the decree allowing the expropriation of the former Colonia Dignidad to proceed. This demonstrates that it is possible to take such a measure if there is determination and political will. A few years ago, it seemed impossible to recover the former Colonia Dignidad. For decades, it was a symbol of horror, impunity, and state complicity, where crimes against humanity were committed with the participation of both state agents and German civilians.
For this reason, the expropriation marks a milestone for our Association in the recovery of the former Colonia Dignidad memorial site. In this context, we must emphasize that all these advances are possible thanks to the struggle and work of human rights organizations, who have been denouncing the crimes perpetrated within the former Colonia Dignidad for years, with the conviction of advancing truth, justice, memory, and non-repetition, as some authorities such as the Minister of National Assets have publicly acknowledged.
etos.media: What prospects does this process open for advancing justice and preserving historical memory?
Margarita Romero Méndez: To continue developing this memorial site, the expropriation process is essential. If we look at other memorial sites in the country, we can see that almost all of them are publicly owned. This is the approach that has been taken in Chile, and it is not possible to deviate or propose an alternative path, such as the idea that public access to this memorial site would be possible if it remained under private ownership, which is not feasible. Furthermore, when we consider the experience of memorial sites located in former concentration camps in countries such as Germany and Poland, it is inconceivable that these places would coexist with recreational tourism activities such as beer festivals or be inhabited by civilians.
Therefore, the expropriation of the former Colonia Dignidad memorial site aligns with national and international standards in this area. Regarding the expectations arising from this expropriation process, the most important thing is to urgently move forward with the setting up of a working group between the state and civil society organisations that have struggled for the recovery of this memorial site. Experiences at a national and international level have shown that it is essential to collectively define medium- and long-term actions for the recovery and development of memorial sites.
etos.media: How would you evaluate the German state’s role in the history of Colonia Dignidad and its involvement (or lack thereof) in uncovering the truth?
Margarita Romero Méndez: For decades, the German state maintained an ambiguous and complicit relationship with the criminal organisation known as Colonia Dignidad. Rather than acting diligently in the face of systematic human rights violations committed within the enclave, German authorities — including its embassy in Santiago — chose to turn a blind eye. Even when numerous reports had already emerged of sexual abuse, labor exploitation, illegal imprisonment and links to the secret police of the Chilean dictatorship, the embassy not only dismissed the victims, but also intervened on multiple occasions to protect the colony’s leaders. This network of impunity also included the participation of the German intelligence service (BND) and arms traffickers such as Gerhard Mertins, who facilitated the supply of weapons and contacts between Colonia Dignidad and repressive sectors within the Chilean military regime. Therefore, rather than being a passive actor, the German state facilitated an illicit transnational association that committed serious crimes on Chilean soil.
etos.media: How do you view the German state’s involvement today?
Margarita Romero Méndez: Today, this historical complicity is still evident in the German state’s refusal to fully cooperate with the Chilean justice system. While Chilean courts have prosecuted former Colonia Dignidad leaders such as Hartmut Hopp and Reinhard Döring for crimes against humanity, Germany has offered these fugitives protection by denying their extradition and allowing them to live freely. This policy of cover-up perpetuates impunity, contradicts Germany’s international human rights commitments and constitutes a new form of violence against the victims, their families, and Chilean society as a whole. If Germany wishes to establish a bilateral relationship based on truth, justice and reparation, it must cease protecting convicted criminals and actively collaborate in clarifying and punishing the crimes committed by Colonia Dignidad.
etos.media: Thank you very much for the interview.
Margarita Romero Méndez is the president of the Asociación por la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos Colonia Dignidad (AMCD), which has been working since 2014 to address and investigate the crimes committed in the former Colonia Dignidad.
Juliana Rivas and Jakob Reimann conducted the interview with Margarita Romero Méndez. Here you can find the pdf to the original in Spanish. The interview was also published in German.
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