Journey
Dr. Quiroga has held significant roles in international organizations, including serving as vice president of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) and treasurer of Physicians for Social Responsibility. His work has been recognized with awards such as the 2009 Socially Responsible Medicine Award and the 2012 Inge Genefke Award. Through his extensive research, publications, and advocacy, Dr. Quiroga has become a leading voice in the global fight against torture, emphasizing the enduring impact of trauma and the necessity of compassionate care for survivors.
I always thought that this had never touched me, until I began to write about it. When I wrote, I had a full catharsis, emotional catharsis.
Stanford University interview, p. 127, paraphrased
Dr. José Quiroga is a Chilean physician and human rights advocate whose life and work have been deeply shaped by history. As a cardiologist, he served as personal physician to President Salvador Allende and was present at la Moneda palace on September 11, 1973, during the military coup that ended Chile’s democracy and changed millions of lives forever.
That day, Dr. Quiroga was among the few who directly witnessed the final moments of President Allende. The trauma of those events, and the silence that followed among many of those present, stayed with him for decades. It wasn’t until years later—during a public testimony in Sweden, 25 years after the coup—that he fully spoke about what he had seen. The emotional weight of that moment marked a turning point in his life and deepened his commitment to memory and truth.
After the coup, Dr. Quiroga was detained, released under the protection of humanitarian law, and eventually forced into exile. He continued his medical career abroad, but his work quickly expanded into the field of human rights. He became an outspoken advocate for survivors of torture and political violence, co-founding organizations dedicated to documenting abuse and providing care to those affected. His experience at La Moneda, combined with his medical expertise, led him to a lifelong investigation into the physical and psychological consequences of torture.
Today, Dr. Quiroga’s career bridges clinical medicine, historical memory, and human rights advocacy. Through publications, testimonies, and decades of work with survivors, he continues to contribute to the global conversation on justice, trauma, and the healing of political wounds.
Photo: Doñihue, by Kofemord (Wikimedia Commons).
My father always said that to live well was to live for others, and my mother taught me to question everything but never lose hope. They gave me a compass for life.
Stanford University interview, p. 12, paraphrased
Childhood & Youth
Born in 1932 in Doñihue, a small town in Chile’s O’Higgins Province, Dr. José Quiroga grew up in a middle-class family deeply rooted in values of service and intellectual pursuit.
His parents, both pharmacists, were instrumental in shaping his moral and professional outlook. His father, who ran a community pharmacy, modeled a life dedicated to helping others, often providing care to those who could not afford it. His mother, equally committed to her profession, nurtured Quiroga’s curiosity and compassion, emphasizing education as a means to address social inequities. Their shared commitment to ethical practice left a lasting imprint, guiding him toward a career in medicine and human rights advocacy.
Growing up in the 1940s, Quiroga witnessed Chile’s social transformations, from labor movements to debates over land reform, which sparked his early awareness of inequality. As a student, he excelled in the sciences, driven by a desire to understand the human condition. In the 1950s, while pursuing medical studies at a Chilean university, he immersed himself in the era’s political ferment, engaging with peers who debated socialism and democracy. These experiences, coupled with his parents’ lessons, solidified his resolve to serve marginalized communities. Even as political tensions grew, Quiroga remained steadfast in his training, laying the foundation for his later work under Chile’s turbulent years.
Dr. Quiroga built a family with his wife, Mónica, raising three children, becoming a grandfather to four and great-grandfather to two, finding strength in his personal life amid his human rights work
The day the bombs fell, I knew our world had changed. We had to choose between silence and courage.
Stanford University interview, p. 78, adapted
The 1973 Coup
The military coup of September 11, 1973, led by General Augusto Pinochet, marked a turning point in Dr. José Quiroga’s life and career. As a practicing physician, Quiroga experienced the violent upheaval that overthrew President Salvador Allende’s socialist government. The coup brought chaos to Santiago, with widespread arrests, disappearances, and human rights abuses.
Quiroga, who had supported Allende’s reforms, faced personal and professional risks due to his political sympathies. He witnessed the closure of democratic institutions and the targeting of colleagues, students, and activists. The atmosphere of fear and censorship profoundly impacted his work, forcing him to navigate a delicate balance between providing medical care and avoiding persecution. His firsthand encounters with the regime’s brutality deepened his commitment to justice, inspiring his lifelong human rights work.
The coup also prompted Quiroga to reflect on the role of medicine in times of crisis, reinforcing his belief that healthcare professionals must uphold human dignity under oppression. This period cemented his resolve to document and resist the dictatorship’s abuses.
Read Dr. José Quiroga’s firsthand account of the September 11, 1973, Chilean coup, a pivotal moment that shaped his life and work.
To treat a torture survivor is to restore their humanity, but also to demand that the truth be told.
Stanford University interview, p. 132, paraphrased
Commitment to Victims of Torture
In the aftermath of the 1973 coup, Dr. José Quiroga dedicated himself to supporting victims of torture under Pinochet’s regime. Working in clandestine settings, he provided medical care to survivors of detention, documenting physical and psychological injuries inflicted by state security forces.
His expertise as a physician allowed him to identify patterns of torture, such as electric shocks and beatings, supporting justice for survivors. Quiroga collaborated with underground networks and international organizations, including Amnesty International and later the Program for Torture Victims (PTV) in Los Ángeles, to expose the regime’s human rights violations, risking his own safety.
His work extended beyond treatment, as he offered emotional support to survivors, helping them reclaim their dignity. After leaving Chile due to mounting threats, Quiroga continued his advocacy abroad, contributing to global efforts to recognize torture as a crime against humanity. His medical reports became critical evidence in legal cases against perpetrators, amplifying the voices of those silenced by the dictatorship.
Quiroga’s commitment to torture victims reflected his belief that healing required both medical intervention and the pursuit of justice, a principle that defined his career.
Through powerful testimonials and Dr. José Quiroga’s own words, the following video captures the profound impact of his work with torture victims. Witness the stories of those touched by his efforts. Discover the heart of his mission.
Explore Dr. José Quiroga’s impactful work with torture victims and his contributions to publications and historical memory.