Original article: A 120 años de la masacre: Antofagasta recordó la sangrienta represión en Plaza Colón que la historia oficial quiso ocultar
Memory Against Oblivion: 120 Years After the Massacre at Plaza Colón in Antofagasta
Image: Painting by renowned artist Raúl Navarrete «Lito»
Yesterday marked the 120th anniversary of the workers’ massacre in Plaza Colón, with various voices recalling the violent episode that official history tried to silence. According to an extensive article from Regionalista.CL, «an episode that official history tried to erase, minimize, or push into oblivion, but which endures strongly in the collective memory of the city.»
The protest, initiated by railway workers demanding «half an hour of legal break time,» escalated into a general strike that paralyzed Antofagasta. The authorities and elite responded by forming a paramilitary force. The report states that, in light of persistent business obstinacy, the governor «authorized the creation of an armed group known as the ‘Order Guard,’» made up of local merchants and elite members, supported by sailors from the frigate Blanco Encalada.
On February 6, 1906, after a peaceful rally, the repression erupted. Regionalista.CL recounts: «They opened fire indiscriminately against the unarmed crowd.» The massacre, which lasted mere minutes, resulted in an unclear number of casualties, obscured by official silence. «Official figures at the time spoke of 50 to 60 dead, but multiple testimonies (…) suggest that the victims could have exceeded 300 people,» the source specifies.
As we commemorate 120 years since the incident, citizen organizations strive to keep the memory alive. The media publication concluded that «Remembering is not just an act of memory: it is a gesture of justice.» On Friday night, a candlelight vigil in Plaza Colón honored the victims of this still-open historical wound.
Watch the video: The Massacre at Plaza Colon, 1906 (Northern Chile)
