Chilean campaigner whose family disappeared under the Pinochet dictatorship
Born: July 26, 1925;
Died: 26 October 26
ANA Gonzalez, who has died aged 93, became one of Chile's leading human rights advocates after her husband, her two sons and her pregnant daughter-in-law disappeared during the Pinochet dictatorship. She died without knowing their fate.
Gonzalez's relatives were among 3000 people who disappeared or died during the 17-year military dictatorship from 1973 until 1990. They were seized by the security forces in April 1976 and were never seen or heard from again. Her daughter-in-law, Nalvia, was kidnapped when she was three months pregnant along with Gonzalez's sons, Luis Emilio and Manuel.
Gonzalez spent more than four decades searching for her loved ones without any luck, although later investigations determined that Gonzalez's husband Manuel Recabarren was taken to two torture centres before disappearing.
Risking her own personal safety, Gonzalez took to the streets with other relatives to protest and march, often with pictures of their relatives pinned to her chest.
Gonzalez also raised awareness around the world as an early member of the Association of Relatives of the Disappeared and addressed the United Nations, the Organization of American States and many others about human rights abuses.
She was born in the city of Tocopilla where her father was a railway worker and became involved with the Communist party when she was a teenager (her husband was also involved in the party).
Gonzalez attended human rights demonstrations until recent years and after democracy was restored in Chile in 1990 continued to demand the truth about the fate of her relatives.
Consuelo Contreras, the head of Chile's Human Rights National Institute, said Gonzalez had dedicated her life to seeking the truth and finding justice for the crimes that she suffered.
In an emotional video posted on social media, the UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet also paid homage to Gonzalez, holding back tears.
"You will remain in the hearts of thousands of Chileans for your selfless struggle for the rights of all," said Bachelet, a former Chilean president who was tortured and fled her country's dictatorship into exile.
In an interview with the New York Times from her modest home in 2010, Gonzalez reflected on her years of campaigning. "They never thought that a woman, a housewife who didn't know anything, not even where the courts were located, would take up the battle cry," she said.
Ana Gonzalez died in a hospital in Santiago after years of suffering from breathing problems. She is survived by two sons and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her daughter Ana Maria died in 2007.
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