Case Study: Chile

by Dawn Hunt

 

In the last thirty-six years, what has happened in Chile has been a tragedy.

 

Throughout Chile’s history, there has been a strong trend toward democracy.  Unlike other Latin American countries that took the path of patronage, Chile was unique in that basic democratic structures had been in place, together with coalition governments.

 

From 1938 to the early 1950’s, elements of socialism/communism, became a part of the coalition building.  However, by in large, democracy and capitalism took the upper hand.

 

With trade unions becoming more prominent and the working class having an increasing role in participation, Salvador Allende became a leading political figure for the working class; class issues, being a long standing issue in Chilean society.

 

Allende was not particularly popular with the middle and upper-classes, who generally have more say and influence in the political direction of Chile, yet opposition to the Unidad Populare party led by Allende, was divided.

 

Allende won the election in 1970.  As an idealist and visionary, he wanted to transform Chile into a nationalised, democratic socialist state and take economic control out of the hands of foreign investors.

 

For the first time, the upper-class in Chile were threatened.  Allende nationalised the copper and coal mines, as well as the banks.  He wanted land reforms to take the form of cooperatives, in favour of the peasants and workers. 

 

Despite all of these well-meaning initiatives, Allende was not necessarily pragmatic.  He immediately implemented better wages, which quickly gave some form of balance to inequality, as well as improved healthcare and education spending.

 

However, workers were impatient for reforms and improvements.  Not only did the workers stress dissatisfaction, but the U.S. owned the banks, as well as much of the land; consequently, Nixon despised the fact that Allende was nationalising these as well as  the production of natural resources.

 

It has been pointed out that, the biggest mistake Allende made, was to try, perhaps too rapidly, to transform a traditionally capitalist economy, into a nationalised economy.  With opposition from the right growing, Allende’s grip on power began to slip.

 

Despite the fact that, Chile had been a strong democracy for some forty years, the fragility of the economy and social structure, was no match for the U.S.-backed militarised right-wing advocates for big business.

 

On 11^th of Sept. 1973, General Augusto Pinochet grabbed power in a single hit, thus violently overthrowing Allende in a militarised coup.

 

The next fifteen years, was a period of violence, repression, scalping of all democratic institutions, torture, disappearances and an overall authoritarian rule that ignored the constitution and any form of the rule of law.

 

Everything that Chileans had to be proud of, was washed away seemingly overnight.

 

Even in the post Pinochet years, when Patricio Aylwin was elected in 1989, Pinochet’s presence remained profoundly influential in the background of Chilean politics.  He still retained his position in the army and remained in the senate.

 

Aywin had the arduous task of rebuilding the constitution, re-establishing democratic institutions and most overwhelmingly, addressing the psychological scars, left by Pinochet’s violent oppression and torture.  Aywin set up the “truth and reconciliation” commission, which uncovered the true extent to which Pinochet had tortured, oppressed and terrorised the people.

 

On a less than positive note, the capitalist/neo liberalist conditions remained in terms of the economy.  Of course it was made more workable, but the inequalities that manifest from privatisation, foreign investment and individualism still prevail in Chile.

 

Some aspects of Pinochet’s rule remain, such as the traditionalisation on society i.e. the concept of family values and subordinate gender roles.

 

Chileans have since resorted to crime, drugs, political apathy and despair and riots in the streets.  However what remains is the continuity of the status quo for neo liberalism/capitalism.

 

The one ray of hope on the horizon is that Chile has elected its first woman president.  She herself, a victim of Pinochet’s torture and imprisonment, represents a non conventional figure in society.

 

Another positive thing, is that Chile has returned to a coalition style government; with 2 representatives from the Christian Democrats and 2 socialists.  This return to a balanced form of coalition can only, at the very least, provide for better representation, in what has been a traditionally strong democratic state, despite the sins of capitalism.    

        

 

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