Juan Guzmán Tapia changed the course of justice in Chile and throughout the world. Naomi Roht-Arriaza writes about his impact.
Judge Juan Guzmán of Chile was not supposed to be a radical. Indeed, he was born into an aristocratic family, his father a diplomat and poet. Yet, Judge Guzmán is perhaps best known as the first judge to indict former dictator Augusto Pinochet for murder in Chile and a key figure in investigating some of the worst crimes carried out during the dictatorship. As he followed the evidence and met with families of those killed and disappeared, Judge Guzmán himself began to change, rejecting the silence of the proper Chilean upper crust and speaking out on behalf of justice. He has been transformed personally and professionally and has likewise been a transformative force for his country.
