Roberto Bravo

Chilean forensic anthropologist who exposed Pinochet's human rights crimes

Dr. Roberto Bravo led the first scientific documentation of mass graves after Augusto Pinochet's regime. His 1984 excavation of Lonquén mine remains provided irrefutable DNA evidence of state-sponsored disappearances, challenging the official narrative of "missing terrorists".

Using novel soil analysis techniques, Bravo proved victims were executed with military-issue weapons. His team's forensic methods became the international standard for human rights investigations. During death threats, Bravo secretly stored evidence microfilms that later convicted 120 former regime officials.

Most remarkably, he developed "biological clocks" through insect colonization patterns on remains, accurately determining execution dates. This work inspired Argentina's Equipo Argentino de Antropología Forense and Guatemala's forensic truth commissions.