When Chilean soldiers broke into her home and dragged her partner from bed on a spring night in 1986, Alicia Lira was 37 years old.Â
She ran behind the military vehicles screaming, but never saw her love Felipe Rivera again.Â
kAmw6 H2D 6I64FE65 H:E9 D6G6C2= 8F?D9@ED E@ E96 9625]Â k^Am
kAm}62C=J 7@FC 564256D =2E6C[ {:C2 D2JD QE96 DF776C:?8 :D DE:== 2=:G6]QÂ k^Am
kAm$96 G@HD ?@E9:?8 H:== DE@A 96C 7C@> 7:89E:?8 7@C Q;FDE:46 2?5 ECFE9]QÂ k^Am
kAmqFE E96 6=64E:@? @7 2 72C\C:89E AC6D:56?E :? r9:=6VD $F?52J CF?@77 C6G:G6D E96 89@DED @7 pF8FDE@ !:?@496EVD 5:4E2E@CD9:A :? 2 4@F?ECJ E92E C6EFC?65 E@ 56>@4C24J bd J62CD 28@[ 3FE DE:== 362CD 566A D42CD]Â k^Am
k9am\ VrCJ 7C@> 96=A=6DD?6DD \k^9am
kAm%96 G:4E@CJ @7 y@D6 p?E@?:@ z2DE \\ 2 !:?@496E DFAA@CE6C 2?5 r9:=6VD >@DE C:89E\H:?8 =6256C D:?46 `hh_ \\>2<6D {:C2 H2?E E@ Q4CJ 7C@> 96=A=6DD?6DDQ D96 D2:5[ 96C 6J6D >:DEJ H:E9 E62CD]Â k^Am
kAm!:??65 E@ 96C 3=2K6C @G6C 96C 962CE :D #:G6C2VD A9@E@]Â k^Am
kAm}@H fd J62CD @=5[ D96 DE:== 42==D 9:> Q>J =@G6]QÂ k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= A6@A=6 :?G@=G65 :? E96 >FC56C C6>2:? 7C66[ @E96CD C646:G65 C65F465 D6?E6?46D]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?6G6C DE@AA65 ECFDE:?8 ;FDE:46[ E9@F89 :EVD 366? >62? DA:C:E65 2?5 D=@H[Q D2:5 {:C2[ AC6D:56?E @7 2? 2DD@4:2E:@? @7 C6=2E:G6D @7 E9@D6 6I64FE65 7@C A@=:E:42= C62D@?D]Â k^Am
kAmw6C 3C@E96C H2D 2=D@ 42AEFC65 2?5 E@CEFC65]k^Am
kAm(96? D96 DA@<6 E@ pu![ D96 925 ;FDE =67E 2 >66E:?8 H:E9 =67E:DE !C6D:56?E v23C:6= q@C:4 2E {2 |@?652 A2=246[ D=@H=J H2=<:?8 H:E9 E96 2:5 @7 2 42?6]Â k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 8@G6C?>6?E 92D 366? 2 3C62E9 @7 7C6D9 2:C 7@C FD[Q D96 D2:5 2E 2 >6>@C:2= 7@C H@>6? G:4E:>D @7 A@=:E:42= C6AC6DD:@?]Â k^Am
kAm$96 D66D E96 ?2E:@?2= A=2? E@ D62C49 7@C E96 5:D2AA62C65 2D :ED 8C62E6DE 249:6G6>6?E]k^Am
kAm}@H {:C2 2?5 @E96C 9F>2? C:89ED 5676?56CD >FDE 7246 z2DE[ H9@ 5676?5D 2 5:4E2E@CD9:A E92E =67E @G6C b[a__ 5625 @C >:DD:?8[ 2?5 E@CEFC65 @C :>AC:D@?65 E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D >@C6]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 >FDE 36 DEC@?86C 2?5 <66A 8@:?8[Q D96 D2:5]Â k^Am
k9am\ p 4@?EC@G6CD:2= A2C5@? \k^9am
kAmz2DE 92D DFAA@CE65 2 3:== E@ A2C5@? 23@FE `c_ 7@C>6C 286?ED ;2:=65 7@C 4C:>6D 282:?DE 9F>2?:EJ[ :?4=F5:?8 ?@E@C:@FD 6I\2C>J 3C:825:6C |:8F6= zC2DD?@77[ H9@ H2D D6?E6?465 E@ @G6C `[___ J62CD]Â k^Am
kAmx? 9:D a_`f AC6D:56?E:2= CF?[ z2DE G:D:E65 9F>2? C:89ED G:@=2E@CD :? AC:D@?]k^Am
kAmQ%96 >:=:E2CJ 8@G6C?>6?E 5:5 >2?J E9:?8D 7@C 9F>2? C:89ED[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAmz2DE 92D DA64:7:42==J AC2:D65 zC2DD?@77 \\ H9@ H2D 244FD65 @7 E@CEFC:?8 AC68?2?E H@>6?]Â k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 7@C E96 =:EE=6 @?6Q 96 :D 244FD65 @7 D2J:?8 2D 96 2AA=:65 6=64EC:4 D9@4<D E@ @?6 AC68?2?E H@>2?VD G28:?2] %96 323J H2D =@DE]k^Am
kAmQx <?@H |:8F6= zC2DD?@77 2?5 D66:?8 9:> x 42?VE :>28:?6 2== E96 E9:?8D E96J D2J 23@FE 9:>[Q z2DE D2:5]k^Am
kAmz2DE H@? F?56C 6:89E A6C46?E @7 G@E6D :? E92E 6=64E:@?]Â k^Am
k9am\ p <:DD 8@@5?:89E \k^9am
kAmv23J #:G6C2 H2D 2 E66?286C H96? D96 3682? D62C49:?8 7@C 96C 5:D2AA62C65 72E96C :? `hfd]Â k^Am
kAm$96 6G6?EF2==J 7@F?5 9:D C6>2:?D :? 2 >:=:E2CJ 724:=:EJ :? a__`[ H:E9 3FC? >2C<D @? 9:D 92?5D]Â k^Am
kAmQx DA6?E >@C6 @7 >J =:76 D62C49:?8 7@C >J 72E96C E92? =:G:?8 H:E9 9:>[Q D2:5 #:G6C2[ ?@H 9625 @7 E96 pDD@4:2E:@? @7 #6=2E:G6D @7 s:D2AA62C65 s6E2:?66D]Â k^Am
kAm$96 DE:== C642==D 9:D =2DE 8@@5?:89E <:DD]Â k^Am
kAmp A2C5@? 7@C C:89ED G:@=2E@CD H@F=5 36 Q9@CC:7:4[Q D96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAmpD 2 J@F?8 >2?[ z2DE 324<65 E96 QJ6DQ G@E6 :? E96 `hgg A=63:D4:E6 E@ <66A E96 >:=:E2CJ :? A@H6C[ 3FE >@DE r9:=62?D G@E65 Q?@[Q 6?5:?8 E96 5:4E2E@CD9:A]Â k^Am
kAmz2DE 2G@:565 >6?E:@?:?8 !:?@496E \\ H9@ 5:65 :? a__e \\ 5FC:?8 9:D =2E6DE 42>A2:8?[ 762C:?8 :E 4@F=5 4@DE G@E6D]Â k^Am
kAmw:D E62> 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ pu! :?E6CG:6H C6BF6DED]Â k^Am
kAmQz2DE H2D 6=64E65 56DA:E6 9:D DFAA@CE 7@C !:?@496E[ ?@E 3642FD6 @7 :E[Q D2:5 A@=:E:42= 2?2=JDE #@36CE uF?< @7 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r9:=6]Â k^Am
kAm|2?J 762C 96 H:== 4FE 7F?5:?8 7@C E96 |FD6F> @7 |6>@CJ 2?5 9F?5C65D @7 9F>2? C:89ED :?DE:EFE:@?D]Â k^Am
kAm%96 >@56C? >FD6F> 8:G6D G:D:3:=:EJ E@ G:4E:>D @7 E96 5:4E2E@CD9:A 2?5 :?7@C>D Q2 4@F?ECJ DE:== 7C24EFC65 3J E9@D6 H@F?5D[Q D2:5 5:C64E@C |2C:2 u6C?2?52 v2C4:2]k^Am
kAmQ~FC 9:DE@CJ 42??@E 36 6C2D65] xE C6>:?5D D@4:6EJ E96D6 G:@=2E:@?D >FDE ?6G6C 92AA6? 282:?[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm=34^2C3^D=2k^Am



