Daniel Zamudio- the "wake up call"

In 2013, Daniel Zamudio was brutally beaten and murdered in a park because of his sexual preferences. He was 24 years old. Obviously, there was widespread shock in Chile, even those who weren't particularly accepting of homosexuality where shaken by the cruelty of the murder. Daniel was found in between some bushes with a broken leg, swastikas carved into his skin, and covered in urine. This event triggered many responses, resulting even in the passing of an anti-discrimination law to prevent something similar from happening ever again. 

It has now been two years, and although it's a reduced amount of time, it has allowed for at least some objectivity when looking back. A book called Perdidos en la noche (which translates to Lost in the night) analyzes the context within which the crime took place and reaches some very interesting conclusions. Although Daniel is evidently the victim, he is not the only one. All of those involved where also victims (yes, including the murderers) of miserable social conditions, of abusive families and extreme poverty, of denied opportunities. Had these young men been given the same opportunities as a high class kid attending a private school, it would've been very unlikely for them to commit that murder. Upon a first glance there is no doubt that they are the ones responsible, but upon further inspection, there is a whole society to be blamed for not handing this youth the necessary tools for life and condemning them to a cycle of poverty.

Although, to what extent does social injustice justify the horrendous crime? In my opinion, it does not justify it at all, but rather brings to attention other problems more deeply ingrained in society. What's done is done and those responsible must be held accountable for their actions (which they were, the main aggressor was sentenced to life in prison). The main point of jail is to protect society from dangerous people, if they happened not to know any better they should be taught better, but also do their time and learn that grave actions have grave consequences. Of course this calls to a whole process of reforming Chile's judiciary system and society in general. Prisons should provide an opportunity for learning and repenting, not for corruption, and an ideal society should provide it's members with enough opportunities and education so that they are able to distinguish between wrong and right. Of course all of this is wildly out of reach and probably won't happen within the lifespan of the vast majority of Chile.

Let the murder of Daniel Zamudio serve as a reminder not only of discrimination against minorities, but also of the deeper problems in our society that push people into a cycle of theft and poverty by robbing them opportunities that should be granted to them as a right by birth. This is not a problem that can be solved by creating a few laws, this is a matter of creating a profound and widespread change in the way our community works and thinks.