The rise of right-wing extremist positions is compounded by a lack of interest among citizens in both the commemorative events and in history itself
Redacció / EP
Sunday, September 10, 2023
On September 11, 1973, Chile saw the overthrow of Salvador Allende’s government by General Augusto Pinochet, who ultimately established a dictatorship from which the South American country was only able to free itself in 1990. Half a century later, Chile once again has a left-wing president, Gabriel Boric, but on the street the citizens seem to be less and less aware of the dictatorial times, from which legacies such as the constitution still exist.
Pinochet came to power under the pretext of “restoring the broken national institutions,” which “de facto” allowed him to assume all powers at the head of the military junta. Fifty years ago, one of the longest-lasting dictatorships in the Southern Cone began, claiming thousands of victims and whose political legacy still lingers in certain sectors.
The polls show a mix of ignorance and disinterest towards some of the darkest episodes in Chile’s recent history, particularly when citizens are asked about the events of the coup. Only 58 percent say they know much or something about the events that toppled Allende, although a recent Cerc Mori poll puts the figure at 78 percent if only those over 53 are taken into account.
A certain taboo was also broken in the public processing of the events of September 11th, and José Antonio Kast, one of the most important political figures in Chile at the moment, who even has the opportunity to become president, has come to apply for the presidency Coup as follows: “On September 11, 1973, Chile chose freedom and the country we have today is thanks to the men and women who rose up to prevent the Marxist revolution in our country.”
In fact, two out of three Chileans still support the coup today, according to a poll by Pulso Ciudadano before the commemorations, which classifies Allende as the main responsible for the coup in the eyes of citizens. About 40 percent of Chileans think this way, while less than 31 percent point to the military leadership, a similar proportion pointing to the United States and especially the CIA.
Government campaign
The Boric government has used the anniversary to launch a series of legislative proposals on human rights, with initiatives aimed, for example, at declassifying the testimony of the commission established in 2003 to document the abuses of the dictatorship. According to the latest updates to this report, the state officially recognizes nearly 40,000 victims, including executions, arrests, torture and enforced disappearances.
Boric, who also wants to resume the search for the missing, has repeatedly attacked those who try to diminish the figure of Pinochet, “whose government killed, tortured, exiled and disappeared those who thought differently.” “He was also corrupt and a thief. “He was a coward to the end and did everything in his power to evade justice,” he said in response to comments made in May by a right-wing leader who called Pinochet a “statesman.”
The dictator died in a Santiago hospital in 2006, with no official mourning in his memory or beliefs behind his back. The Chilean judiciary has tried former officials – in August the Supreme Court convicted seven retired soldiers for the kidnapping and murder of singer-songwriter Víctor Jara – but no attempt has been successful in the Pinochet case, although he was arrested in London in 2018 Request from Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón.
Boric also sticks to his goal of reforming the constitution, which Chile still holds on to from the Pinochet era after citizens rejected a first draft. Now it is in the power of a new constitutional convention to draft a second text, and on this occasion it is the right, which has supported Kast among other leaders, which has the upper hand due to the elections held in May.
political polarization
The polarization in Chile is therefore obvious, in politics and also on the streets. So much so that seven out of ten people surveyed by Pulso Ciudadano believe that commemorating the coup only serves to divide Chileans, and less than 15 percent believe that it can be an opportunity to move towards unity move.
It also doesn’t help that 56.5 percent of citizens directly show little or no interest in the event, which will bring together in Chile international leaders such as Argentina’s Alberto Fernández, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Mexico’s Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Former Spanish government president Felipe González is among the guests confirmed by the Chilean Foreign Ministry.
Boric has stressed that the 1973 coup “was not inevitable,” that “there are always alternatives in politics,” and advocated for its non-recurrence. More than 36 percent of the population believe that there could be another coup against a democratic government in Chile.