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Chile: NGO for Victims of Delinquency Brings Together Citizens

Categories: Latin America, Chile, Digital Activism, Governance, Law

The NGO Víctimas de la Delincuencia [es] [1] (Victims of Delinquency) was created in Chile's capital city of  Santiago in 2006  to protect, guide and inform the victims of violence in this city.  On their website, citizens have been marking  episodes of violence (muggings, assault, robbery, rape and abuse) on a map, uploading videos and testimony of when and how they were victimized. The organization's goal is enable the changing of laws in Chile, which so far, according to Víctimas de la Delincuencia, tend to benefit delinquents instead of their victims.

As told on their site [2], Their campaign began in 2006, after the family Fuenzalida Urzúa was attacked by a band of robbers who broke into their house, stole their belongings and grabbed the couple's 8 month baby from its mother's arms and threatened to kill it.  When the media arrived at their doorstep to get the scoop on the assault, the couple decided they had two possibilities, hide away from the media, or face them and tell their story. A few days later the website was born, and a month later, a 3000 person march took place in the city, requesting more security for citizens, and protection to victims of delinquency.

The following video [3] tells the organization's story:

This next video [4], sent in by luchitosnachitos, a member of the community, shows the effects of fear on the lives of regular citizens. As a woman searches her room for her car keys, we can see weapons stashed in every corner of the room. At the end a message flashes on the black screen: We aren't violent. We are afraid. Let's strengthen our laws.”

What laws are they speaking of? This next video [5] shows us what watamerigonzu thinks of the actual penalties for delinquency:

In this last video [6], also created by a citizen, shows how delinquents view their crimes and the law: as just another game.