We are an international human rights organization with members in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Founded in 2008, we advocate for the forced disappeared in Chile and Latin America. Our website maybe found at www.missingfriends.org

Representatives of the International Foundation for the Forced Disappeared (IFFD) plan to visit London to participate in a series of Chilean and Latin American Solidarity events that include our running a half marathon at the “Run to the Beat” in Greenwich, on September 26, 2010 (link to website:  http://www.runtothebeat.co.uk)

In recent years, we have taken our cause to the streets running marathons in different cities around the world promoting this campaign for truth and justice. We have run near the Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, in Stockholm, Sweden, in San Francisco, California, USA, and more than once, in Santiago Chile. Our participation in these marathons, accompanied by local adults and young people, has been followed by events that expressed the real interest of people on human rights. We cannot fail to mention the extremely well attended and most moving was perhaps the one held at Villa Grimaldi, the infamous torture center. In every place we have ran, people who understand the violations of human rights perpetrated in Chile have hosted us.

There are many victims whose cases have that still have not had a fair trial, and families of victims who still do not know where their love ones are, thirty or more years after the crimes committed on their person. The perpetrators of crimes against humanity are still free and have not been prosecuted by the Chilean justice system. The latest example is that of Pinochet himself who eluded justice and past away without conviction.

We are aware of the valuable work done by Amnesty International not only with regards to Chile, but also on human rights around the world. We would like to request your support in the following areas, with regard to our participation in London. Specifically, we would be grateful if you help us with the following items:

1. Would put us in contact with individuals and groups that share concern for human rights. Specifically, we are looking for fit individuals who would run with us during the race. We would like to see as many sympathizers to come and support us during the race, even if they don't run. Participants will be welcome to use our solidarity T-shirt for the forced disappeared in Chile. Runners will also receive a Human Right medal from our foundation, after the race.

2. Would help us arrange a meeting/conversation with interested parties to explain, briefly, our objectives regarding the human rights solidarity movement, including the IFFD’s proposal to hold accountable corporations that aided and abetted the Pinochet dictatorship.

We wish to discuss the development of a Human Rights Marathon that would serve as a fundraising vehicle to establish a legal fund for human rights victims to pursue litigation against their abusers and to victim support programs such as London’s The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, or the program with which we are more familiar, the Los Angeles Program for Torture Victims.

We want all victims and their families to receive medical, psychological, and educational resources to mitigate the horrors of dictatorship and repression.

3. Would help us materialize, in London, a solidarity event for the Forced Disappeared of Chile, with participation of the Chilean community and other Latin American solidarity organizations of London.

4. Would facilitate a cultural event to exhibit and comment on 20 to 80 “arpilleras” (depending on the space available) the tapestries embroidered by families of the forced disappeared in Chile in the 1970s a 1980s.

This is our wish list for London in September 2010. We hope to work with you in the effort to promote the Human Rights issues to the benefit for the families of the victims of the Human Rights Abuses in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship.

For The International Foundation For The Forced Disappeared:

Frances Chavez MD Santa Fe, New Mexico
Luis Soto, PhD Santa Fe, New Mexico
Cecilia Ubilla, MA San Diego, CA
Margarita Luna PhD Tijuana Mexico


International Foundation for the Forced Disappeared
435 St. Michael's Drive B203
Santa Fe, NM USA
505 920-8388 cell
505 983-0661 fax
505 984-0714 home