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| History of Chile (1973–1990) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chile (1973–1990) |
| Caption | Bombing of La Moneda during 1973 coup |
| Period | 1973–1990 |
| Location | Santiago, Chile |
| Outcome | Military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet; transition to Patricio Aylwin administration |
History of Chile (1973–1990) The period from 1973 to 1990 in Chile encompassed the overthrow of Salvador Allende, the consolidation of a military junta led by Augusto Pinochet, widespread political repression, radical economic change, and a contested transition to democratic rule culminating in the elections of 1988–1990. This era linked Cold War geopolitics involving the United States and Soviet Union to domestic conflicts among the Christian Democratic Party, Socialist Party of Chile, Communist Party of Chile, Radical Party of Chile, and other factions.
Tensions before the coup involved the 1970 election victory of Salvador Allende, the role of the Popular Unity (Chile) coalition, confrontations with National Congress of Chile, and polarizing interactions with the Chilean National Police and Carabineros de Chile. International dynamics included covert actions by the Central Intelligence Agency and diplomatic pressure from the Nixon administration, intersecting with debates inside the Christian Democratic Party and reactions from the Confederation of Chilean Trade Unions and Confederación de Trabajadores de Chile. The coup on 11 September 1973 featured Chilean Army units, the bombing of La Moneda Palace, resignations within Allende's cabinet, and the establishment of a junta comprising Augusto Pinochet, César Mendoza, Gustavo Leigh, and Ismael Huerta.
After the coup the junta dissolved the National Congress of Chile, suspended the Constitution of Chile (1925), declared a state of siege, and issued numerous Decree Laws (Chile). Augusto Pinochet became Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army and later President of Chile (1974–1990), while the junta created institutions such as the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA), later succeeded by the Central Nacional de Informaciones (CNI), and restructured the Chilean Armed Forces and Navy of Chile. The regime implemented the Constitution of Chile (1980), overseen by figures like Jaime Guzmán and endorsed in a controversial 1980 Chilean constitutional referendum. The junta also reorganized municipal structures, repressed unions like the Central Única de Trabajadores, and influenced judicial appointments to the Supreme Court of Chile.
Repression targeted members of the Socialist Party of Chile, Communist Party of Chile, Radical Left Movement (MIR), and various student groups linked to University of Chile and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Agencies such as DINA and CNI used detention centers like Estadio Nacional (Santiago), Villa Grimaldi, and Cuartel Borgoño; victims included Victor Jara, Víctor Jara's associates, trade unionists, and members of the Tucapel Jiménez family. International bodies such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings, while regional actors like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights investigated cases like the Caravan of Death. Trials and accountability later involved figures from the Pinochet era in proceedings at domestic and international courts.
Economic transformation was driven by policies promoted by the Chicago Boys, economists trained at the University of Chicago including Hernán Büchi and advisors like José Piñera, implementing neoliberal reforms: privatization of state-owned enterprises such as Codelco assets, deregulation, trade liberalization with ties to International Monetary Fund and World Bank programs, and pension privatization creating the Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP). Fiscal policies included austerity measures affecting subsidies, currency stabilization, and capital market reforms that reshaped sectors from mining in Chile to agriculture in Chile and fishing in Chile. Structural reforms led to growth episodes and inequality debates involving scholars from University of Chile and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile while sparking protests from labor organizations including the Chilean Workers' Federation.
Cultural life under the junta saw censorship affecting media outlets like El Siglo (Chile) and La Nación (Chile), suppression of Nueva canción chilena performers including Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara, and state promotion of conservative values through institutions linked to Catholic Church in Chile and sectors of the Christian Democratic Party. Education reforms altered curricula at the University of Chile and provincial schools; urban changes affected neighborhoods in Santiago, Chile and led to migrations from regions such as Rancagua and Antofagasta. Intellectuals including Orlando Letelier in exile, artists like Roberto Matta, and journalists faced censorship, exile, or assassination abroad, influencing Chilean diaspora communities in places like Washington, D.C. and Madrid.
Opposition encompassed parliamentary figures from the National Party (Chile, 1966) and the Christian Democratic Party (Chile) initially, clandestine cells of the Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR), organized labor remnants like Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), student federations such as the Federación de Estudiantes de la Universidad de Chile (FECH), and the formation of the Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia coalition. Resistance tactics ranged from strikes in mining towns like El Teniente and protests in Santiago, Chile to international advocacy by exiles in the United Nations Human Rights Council, legal challenges in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and actions by churches and NGOs including Memoria Viva.
Facing domestic unrest, economic crises, and international pressure, the junta called a plebiscite held on 5 October 1988 under the rules of the Constitution of Chile (1980). Campaigns for the No campaign (Chile) and the Yes campaign (Chile) featured leaders such as Patricio Aylwin, Ricardo Lagos, Sebastián Piñera as emerging figures, and strategists from parties like the Socialist Party of Chile and the Radical Party of Chile. The 1988 Chilean national plebiscite returned a "No" result, leading to presidential and legislative elections in 1989 won by the Concertación candidate Patricio Aylwin and the cabinet that followed began dismantling instruments of repression, initiating human rights trials involving Augusto Pinochet and reforming institutions including the Defensoría de la Niñez and judicial bodies, completing the formal transition by March 1990.