| Summary: | The Allende’s Government was brutally cut short by a coup led by General Pinochet. The following crackdown on activists did not spare members of the deposed government, directors in public companies and in civil society organizations. The commendable efforts of officials at the Italian Embassy in Chile, saved dozens of people, providing them with a safe haven behind the Embassy's walls before helping them leave the country. Some of the leading figures who escaped like this made their way to Rome. Here, through the solidarity of NGOs committed with Chile, these political refugees were able to piece together in Italy effective support for Chilean people and organizations fight back against the human rights violations perpetrated. Back to Chile, thanks to a project promoted by the NGO “MLAL”, co-financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Bishop Conference, these political refugees led a Communication Agency cleaver for the Referendum. The whole experience remains one of the best examples, with true value added, of the use of displaced human resources - with their expertise and in-depth knowledge of the local socio-political, cultural and anthropological climate - in international cooperation activities.
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