To Pinochet and Back

The Authoritarian

Culture of Chile

Republic of Chile: Basic

Info

-Population 15 Million (July
1999)
-GDP $184 Billion (Peru
$111B, Argentina $374B,
Brazil $1T)
-89% Roman Catholic
-A Democracy Since 1990
-Major Industries: Mining
(Copper and Gold), Fishing
and Forestry.

Republic of Chile:

Leadership

1970-1973

: Salvador

Allende
1973-1990

: Augusto

Pinochet.
1990-1993

: Patricio Aylwin

1993-1999

: Eduardo Frei

2000-

: Ricardo Lagos

The Pinochet Primer!

-In 1970, left-winger
Salvador Allende was elected
President.
-The CIA was unhappy with
Allende, and pursued a
number of avenues in
removing him from office
-Nixon authorized $10M to
be put towards destabilising
Chile and removing Allende
from power.

Salvador Allende cont.

-Even before the election,
President Nixon had secretly
initiated “a major effort to
see what could be done to
prevent Allende's accession
to power.”
-With significant US funding
and intervention against his
government, it didn’t take
long for Allende’s
government to crumble.

Salvador Allende cont.

-In September 1973, the
head of the Chilean military,
Augusto Pinochet, staged a
massive military operation
against Allende.
-The presidential buildings
were hit with airstrikes and
the government destroyed!
-Allende was killed during
the coup.

Pinochet the Dictator

-Pinochet billed himself as
Chile’s saviour, and many
Chileans agreed with him.
-As soon as he assumed
power, Pinochet set out to
kill or harass anyone who
opposed his rule.
-The US ignored the flagrant
human rights abuses
suffered by Pinochet’s
enemies.

Pinochet and the United

States

-The United States largely
ignored Pinochet’s
wrongdoings, since his path
to leadership had been
paved with American dollars.
-Even when an American
Journalist who “knew too
much” was killed, the CIA did
nothing, even going so far as
to “black out” its knowledge
of the event.

The CIA on Charles

Horman

1980

1999

Pinochet’s Government

-During the 1970s and
1980s, Pinochet continued to
remove anyone who
opposed him.
-In 1980, Pinochet wrote a
constitution that allowed
Chile to return to democracy
by 1990.
-Once Pinochet was voted
out, he assumed the position
of “life senator”

Pinochet’s Government

-The Chilean people largely
looked the other way during
such abuses, because they
felt that Pinochet had built
their economy and nation
into a powerful force within
South America.
-Pinochet allowed American
economists to exert

considerable control

over his

economy.

Chile’s “economic miracle”

-For nine years, the Chicago
economists experimented
with Chile.
-It was a disaster. National
banks crumbled, debt
skyrocketed, and the citizens
rioted. Over 40% of the
nation lived in poverty (twice
the pre-Pinochet levels).
-Reluctantly, Pinochet
booted out the Chicago boys
and returned to Keynesian
economic interventions.

The facts on the “miracle”

-1973 per-capita GDP: $3600
-1993 per-capita GDP: $3170

(5

th

worst 20-year performance in Latin

America)

-1972: 27% without
adequate housing
-1988: 40%

-by 1989, Chile had the
worst income inequality on
the continent.

Post-Pinochet Chile

-In 1990, Pinochet stepped
down as President, and was
replaced by a democratic
government led by Eduardo
Frei.
-Since then, Chile has
struggled to rebuilt its
economy and political
system.
-Chile recently

elected

moderate socialist Ricardo
Lagos.

Social Repercussions

-Many Chileans still see Pinochet as a
hero, and are convinced that he brought
prosperity to Chile.
-Opinions on Pinochet’s authoritarian
government sharply divide the Chilean
people.
-Some spit as his name, while others call
him “abuelo” (grandfather) affectionately.

Social Repercussions

“Some other lingering effects of his leadership
are the stereotypes about "left and right wing"
types of people.  University students who study
things like Business Administration or
Engineering are usually thought to be right
wing, where as those who study subjects like
Political Science, History, and Psychology are
usually thought of as being more liberal, left
wing, and even communist.  I experienced this
when trying to get a job down there with a
degree in Political Science.  Also people from
middle to upper class are generally more right
wing and Pinochet favourable while lower and
working classes are generally against Pinochet
and more left wing.  Again, these are
stereotypes and generalizations.  Like anything,
there are exceptions.”

Social Repercussions

-Modern Chile still retains a formidable police
presence, described by one Canadian student
as “police with submachine guns on every
street corner”.
-There exists significant anti-American
sentiment in Chile even today as a result of
their actions during the 1970s and 1980s.
-Demonstrations and riots are commonplace, as
citizens seek to take an active role in
government.
-Modern-day politicians are seen to be honest
and hardworking, and many are indifferent as to
the fate of their former dictator.

Social Repercussions

Social Repercussions

Chile

Britain

Social Repercussions

Social Repercussions

Social Repercussions

Summary

-Chile suffered greatly under Pinochet’s
rule
-A period of BA did little good to Chile,
improving some areas and hurting others
-While many Chileans see their time
under BA as having been fruitful, outside
analysis generally disagrees
-If the western world is to learn anything
from Chile, it should be that BA is not
necessarily an effective method of
developing a nation.