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The definition of human rights must be
expanded to Include everything that
Ufa possible, Chilean human rights spokes
woman Isabel Lctelier said Thursday.
Letelier addressed about 100 persons in
the Nebraska Union Ccntenrdd Room. She
is the widow of slab Chilean diplomat Or
lando Letclicr.
Letelier's speech was sponsored by
r
Union Program Council's Talk and Topics
Commutes, Centennial College, UNL Polit
ical Science Dept., UNL Modern Ur.guig5i
Bspt. and Nsbra:hans for Peace,
Lctdier and Washington taaodata RorJii
IMult were kEed Sept. 21, 1976, when a
bcrr.b exploded hi their c-r in front cf the
Chilean embassy in Washington D.C.
Cause of the incident his not been de
termined. Strong suspicion points to the
work DINA, a sscret police that seized
power when Chilean President Sdvador
Agenda's government was. nvertluown by
a violent junta hi September 1973.
Lctelier was an' opponent of the mili
tary junta, his wifa s:id. VvT.cn the junta
took control, he wes imprisoned hi a con
centration camp for a year, she said.
Letclicr and his family were exiled to
the United States after his release from the
concentration camp. Ills widow continues
to live in Washington, D.C, speaking about
human rights and waiting for the day when
she can return to a free homeland.
"Do not mourn for the dead," Lctelier
told the audience. "Fight for the living.
Fight to release prisoners, to change the
laws, to make the people who have dis-
appeared appear."
Lctelier said more than 1 J0O0 persons
have vanished with no clue to their loca
tion since the junta took control.
"You cannot dispose of more than
1,000 people without someone knowing,"
Letelier said. The Chilean court has per
sistently refused to intervene with the kid
nap cases, according to Letelier.
"The legal system in Chile is a cruel,
sinister joke," she said, explaining that all
operations are controlled by DINA.
In a question and answer period follow
ing her lecture, Letelier said DINA is the
crJy apparatus keeping the Chilean sub
version together. Hie junta banned all po
lUicd parti: s.
Letelier predicted that the only way to
restore- democratic government In Chile
will be through a transition government to
replace the junta.
She said steps have been taken to in
crease human rights. Two weeks ago,
Letelier said she attended a meeti; g of
the United Nations Committee of lliman
Pdghts in Geneva, Switzerland. A r solu
tion co-sponsored by the U.S. denounced
the flagrant actions of the Chilean junta
and was passed 25-1 by the committee.
Letelier said human rights advocates
should write the Chilean junta demanding
the truth about the disappeared citizens.
"We know that international pressure
does work," she said, adding it was this
force that freed her husband from the
concentration camp. .
Letelier said the U.S. Dept. of Justice is
investigating her husband's death, but that
she is dissatisfied with its progress. She
said she requested a special prosecutor for
the case from U.S. Attorney General
Griffin Bell last week, but her request has
not been met.
Letelier will speak again at 1 :30 p jm.
Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church,
17 and F streets.
n
Isabel Letelier
Dally Ncbrcskan photo
Aw U U
friday, april 1 , 1977 vol. 100 no. 97 lincoln, ncbraska
A m
HIT
By Pad PIttrkk
A bill to abolish the death penalty was killed in the Ne
braska Legislature 29-20 Thursday.
- The vote on Omsha Sen. Ernie Chambers? LD64
followed floor debate which began Wednesday. - - x
Several senators voiced opposition to the bill after
Neligh Sen. John DeCamp told the. legislature that an
amendment would not ensure a person will spend more
than 15 years in prison. The amendment proposed to re
quire a minimum sentence of 30 years for first degree
murder. s
Citing what he called the good time law, DeCamp said
a reduction in the sentence will automatically occur.
Tm not talking about anybody taking any further
action," said DeCamp after Hemingford Sen. -Sam Cullan
suggested a constitutional amendment to restrict the
Board of Pardons' powers should LB 64 pass.
Opposing the bill, Bellwood Sen. Loran Schmit said
' inmates have killed other inmates at the penitentiary. '
Calling the death penalty more powerful than life
imprisonment, he said he found it difficult to. vote to
abolish capital punishment when inmates are taking lives.
-' , ' " ' Bfedersnst stepped ; J;'-; ;
Chambers said the threat of capital punishment is hot
stopping murders within prison walls now. '
Adams Sen. George Burrows warned that abolishing
the death penalty would pressure policemen into "execut
ing the suspect on the street."
He said he would oppose the death penalty if used
freely but cited a history of state conservatism toward im
posing the punishment.
Asking senators to think twice before touching the red
button to kill the bill, Swigart said detection and certain
ty of punishment are what deter crime.
- ScottsblufT Sen. William Nichol said the issue of
capital punishment is like religion. Noting that each
member must decide for himself, he challenged senators
to ask their constituents about the issue during Easter
vacation. v
In favor of death penalty
He said a poll he took in his district revealed that 95
per cent of his constituents favored the -death penalty.
- Columbus Sen: Donald Dworak also endorsed LE64.
He said the only reason for capital punishment "has to be
revenge," and added "I don't think that's reason enough
to take the life of an individual."
DeCamp said Wednesday that he would introduce an
amendment making capital punishment mandatory for
specific crimes.
He told the senators Thursday that he has agreed to
withhold this amendment until Chambers has been given
a chance to advance his bill.
Chambers' bill is to abolish capital punishment while
DeCamp's amendment would make the death penalty
mandatory in certain cases.
Chambers called the death penalty a 'gross mistake"
and promised to offer an amendment asking for a five
year moratorium on capital punishment if the bill fails to
advance.
Heport on s
3iv
discrimination
till in writing stage at HEW
A federal report on alleged sex discrim- ;
ination at NU, once expected in January, ;
is not completed yet. '
The UJS. Department of Health Educa
tion and Welfare (HEW) sent two investi
gators to UNL last November to lodk into
charges filed in a 70-page report by the NU
ad hoc Committee on Women's Concerns.
HEW is obligated to investigate all
charges fled with its office. After its
investigation, the department writes a re-
port outlining its findings. It is this report
that was expected in January.
According to Jesse Milan of the Civil
ii y L -I..- v
Keisi: More people at Pershing Municipal
Auditorium may mean less rock . .... p. 5 .
Entcrtshsenf: A 1,278-pipe organ w2.
flood the Weiley House with music. . p. 12
StotU: UNL's crew club hosts Washburn
uVivertity at Branched Oik Lake this S:t-.
u;i;y v ... p. 14
Rights Office at HEWs regional head
quarters in Kansas City, the report 1s still
in the writing stage." He said research
problems and other demands were delay
ing the report's completion.
The complaint alleged sex discrimina
tion in the university's hiringiring and pay
scale procedures. It also alleged that the
university did not properly advertise job
openings and that women were denied pro
motions and tenure when hired.
V2m said he could not reveal details
of the report until it is finished. NU faces
possible loss of federal financing if it falls
to comply with the report when finished.
Cr.ce the report is finished, and if the
university is found to be not in compliance
with federal guidelines, HEW notifies any
federal agency that funds the university.
After notifying the agencies, HEW will
seek voluntary compliance through nego
tiations with the university. If this foils
the US. Justice Dept. could-be asked to
te action.
i
filn told tha DsZy Netrzskst in No-
r that the re pert would be
d by January. He would not es
timate when he expects it to be ccrr;-!ctej.
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