Students, professors, diplomats, artists and victims of Augusto Pinochet’s regime gathered at the School of Economics of the Central University of Ecuador (UCE), at the foot of the monument dedicated to President Salvador Allende.

UCE´s Rector Fernando Sempertegui praised Allende’s stance in maintaining coherence with his principles and ideal to the point of giving his life as a testimony.

If it is a matter of honoring Allende, it is good that we are gathered here today, but we must make democracy an opportunity to build equity, Sempertegui said.

Chilean Ambassador in Quito Pablo Arriaran assured this tribute seeks to highlight the bloody experience of having lost democracy and the struggle to recover it 17 years later.

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