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| Chilean presidential election, 1989 | |
|---|---|
| Election name | Chilean presidential election, 1989 |
| Country | Chile |
| Type | presidential |
| Election date | 14 December 1989 |
| Previous election | 1988 Chilean national plebiscite |
| Previous year | 1988 |
| Next election | 1993 Chilean presidential election |
| Next year | 1993 |
| Turnout | 92.14% |
| Nominee1 | Patricio Aylwin |
| Party1 | Concertación |
| Popular vote1 | 4,114,936 |
| Percentage1 | 55.17% |
| Nominee2 | Hernán Büchi |
| Party2 | Renovación Nacional |
| Popular vote2 | 3,346,119 |
| Percentage2 | 44.83% |
| Title | President |
| Before election | Augusto Pinochet |
| Before party | Military junta |
| After election | Patricio Aylwin |
| After party | Christian Democratic Party |
Chilean presidential election, 1989
The 1989 Chilean presidential election held on 14 December 1989 was the first competitive presidential contest following the 1988 Chilean national plebiscite that ended the institutionalized rule of Augusto Pinochet. The contest featured pro-democracy coalitions and right-wing successors to the Pinochet regime, resulting in the victory of Patricio Aylwin and the transition to civilian rule marked by negotiations with the outgoing junta, interactions with the Constitution of Chile (1980), and debates over accountability, human rights, and institutional reform.
Following the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, the military junta led by Augusto Pinochet implemented the Constitution of Chile (1980), neoliberal reforms associated with the Chicago Boys, and a period of political repression discussed in reports by National Commission on Political Imprisonment and Torture and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The 1988 Chilean national plebiscite produced a "No" victory, prompting the junta to schedule the first democratic elections under the 1980 constitution framework, with transitional rules negotiated among figures like Gabriel Valdés, Hernán Büchi, Patricio Aylwin, and members of the Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia. Key actors included parties such as the Christian Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Party for Democracy (Chile), Communist Party of Chile, National Party successors, Renovación Nacional, and Independent Democratic Union.
The election was conducted under the Constitution of Chile (1980) and electoral laws shaped during the Pinochet era, utilizing a two-round system provisionally shaped by the Ley Orgánica Constitucional sobre Votaciones Populares y Escrutinios, with the presidency elected by absolute majority in a single round when combined with political pacts. The voter registry was administered by the Servicio Electoral de Chile and participation followed rules set by the Tricel (Tribunal Calificador de Elecciones). The legal framework also included transitional guarantees for Augusto Pinochet such as his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army until 1998 and his placement as senator-for-life indicated by the 1980 constitution amendments and political negotiations involving figures like Jorge Alessandri and Ricardo Lagos.
The main candidacies crystallized around the center-left Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia coalition, which nominated Patricio Aylwin—a veteran of the Christian Democratic Party and former senator—after internal deliberations involving Gabriel Valdés and Ricardo Lagos. The right presented Hernán Büchi, an economist and former minister of finance under Augusto Pinochet, supported by Renovación Nacional and Independent Democratic Union. Other figures included potential candidacies or influencers from the Socialist Party of Chile, the Party for Democracy (Chile), the Radical Party of Chile, and the reconfigured Right-wing Union formations tracing lineage to the National Party and technocratic networks tied to the Chicago Boys and the Central Bank of Chile. Campaign themes focused on justice for victims catalogued by the Valech Report, economic policies debated in light of Hernán Büchi's austerity record and market reforms, and institutional reforms to the Constitution of Chile (1980) proposed by Patricio Aylwin and allied legislators.
Opinion polling before the vote involved firms and agencies covering urban centers such as Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción and tracked approval from organizations linked to the Servicio Electoral de Chile and independent research institutions. Media coverage was dominated by outlets including El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, Televisión Nacional de Chile, and a burgeoning private television landscape shaped by figures like Pinochet regime media strategists and journalists from Revista Hoy. Debates referenced international attention from actors such as the Organization of American States, the United Nations, and diplomatic missions from United States, United Kingdom, and European Community delegations. Polls during the campaign indicated consolidated support for Patricio Aylwin among Concertación constituents and a strong but insufficient mobilization for Hernán Büchi among right-leaning electorates in regions like Maule Region and Araucanía Region.
The official tally certified by the Tricel declared Patricio Aylwin the winner with 55.17% of votes (4,114,936) against Hernán Büchi's 44.83% (3,346,119), with turnout reported at 92.14% of eligible voters. The geographic distribution showed strong performance for Concertación in metropolitan Santiago Metropolitan Region districts, Valparaíso Region ports, and southern strongholds historically associated with the Christian Democratic Party (Chile) and the Socialist Party of Chile, while Büchi performed better in Antofagasta Region, Biobío Region, and parts of Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region. Legislative contests concurrent with the presidential vote returned a plurality for Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and increased representation for center-left senators, setting the stage for negotiation over constitutional reforms and presidential powers defined in the Constitution of Chile (1980).
Aylwin's inauguration marked the formal end of the Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990) and the beginning of the Transition to democracy in Chile, which involved negotiated processes with Augusto Pinochet concerning the role of the Armed Forces of Chile and security institutions. The administration established the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation (Rettig Commission) to document abuses and influenced debates leading to the later Valech Report and judicial proceedings against former officials. Economic and social policy under Aylwin engaged with legacies of the Chicago Boys program, reforms to social legislation, and steps toward constitutional amendments negotiated with parties including Renovación Nacional and Independent Democratic Union. The 1989 election remains a reference point in comparative studies of democratic transitions, civil-military relations, transitional justice, and constitutional design discussed by scholars associated with Latin American studies centers at institutions like Harvard University, University of Oxford, and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Category:Presidential elections in Chile Category:1989 elections in South America