Military regime of Augusto Pinochet

The military regime of Augusto Pinochet controlled the Chile after the Coup d'etat of September 11th, 1973, carried out by the military Junte ordered by the general Augusto Pinochet against the government of Salvador Allende, president of the Chile since 1970, elected under the colors of the Unidad Popular.

The Chile rocked during two decades under a military Dictature which made approximately 3.000 victims and 27.000 tortured people. The left opposition was decimated and the exiled political ones continued within the framework of the Opération Condor.

On the economic plan, the repression of the mode prevented any organization of the Social movement, while the government of Santiago called upon American economists, the " Chicago servant boys " , which applied a policy néolibérale of Privatization S according to the concepts developed by Milton Friedman, trying out in Chile a therapy of shock, generalized in the years 1990.

The coup d'etat of September 11th, 1973 and its continuations

The coup d'etat, carried out by Augusto Pinochet (rejoined in extremis with the putschists, but without which the coup d'etat was dedicated to the failure), has place in an international context marked by the Cold war and in a national context marked by a political polarization extreme and of economic crisis and social.

The coup d'etat started in the night of the 10 with the September 11th 1973.

In September 1973, like each year, the US Navy and the Chilean navy organized common operations. The troops of marines thus spent the day of the September 10th 1973 with 4 ships of Navy to broad of Valparaiso. Of return in the evening of September 10th in the harbor city, the troops of Chilean infantries started to cut the communications, seizing the city as of 3 hours of the morning, without blow to férir.

With 6:00 of the morning, the September 11th 1973, military operation extended to all the country and was carried out without resistance except for Santiago. With 9:00 of the morning, the palate of Moneda where as of 7:00 president Allende had arrived, was besieged by the Army. The vice-admiral Patricio Carjaval proposed to him then by telephone a safe conduct to leave healthy Chile and except with his family. But he refused, convinced that it was a trap. He made nevertheless evacuate his family and the personnel and cut off itself in the presidential palace, with 42 of his bodyguards, informant being ready to die the weapons with the hand.

Little before midday, two hunters of the army bombarded Moneda with blows of rockets then the tanks invested the palate. Shortly after 14:00, Salvador Allende was found died. It would have committed suicide using an automatic weapon that Fidel Castro had offered to him.

More than two hundred people are killed in the three days following the coup d'etat, while with less the 75 others are massacred at the time of the episode known as of the Caravane of dead the which traverses the country of the September 30th to the October 22nd 1973. The opponents are gathered with the stage of Santiago, some are tortured, others disappear.

Whereas the Democratic Christians and the conservatives expect that the capacity their is given, the military junta decides to preserve the orders of the country and establishes a military dictatorship.

17 years of military regime

During the 17 years of the military regime, several thousands of Chilean are stopped, tortured, off-set or carried out (the “Caravanes of Dead the” are thus responsible for at least 75 dead).

From 1975 - 1976, the junta calls upon the Chicago Boys to start again the Chilean economy. During the first years, inflation is controlled, the started again production and reprivatized industries (except for the copper mines).

In 1978, the junta organizes a Plébiscite by which the government affirms to have received 75% of the voices in its favor. A law of Amnesty for all the authors of crimes and offenses made since the September 11th 1973 is promulgated the April 19th.

In 1980, the country obtains a news Constitution approved by Référendum the September 11th. The chief of the military junta, Augusto Pinochet, becomes president of the republic. From May 1983 with 1987, the country is in economic recession and of violent demonstrations take place against the mode. In November 1984, the state of siege is proclaimed in all the country. In 1986, a Attentat made by the patriotic face Manuel Rodriguez kills five members of her escort presidential. The country is again in state of siege the September 8th. From 1987, the demonstrations cease little by little whereas the country sets out again for 12 years of uninterrupted economic growth.

In 1988, principal public freedoms (right of meeting of the political parties and trade unions, semi-abrogation of the censure) are restored. In October, extremely of a positive economic assessment the Pinochet general organizes the Référendum (envisaged by the constitution) to prolong his mandate which is to expire in 1990. Nearly 7,5 million Chilean are then called with the ballot boxes (the vote is obligatory under penalty of fine). Exiled are as authorized to return to the country as in particular made the family of Salvador Allende.

Opposition including/understanding 16 political parties (whose Communist party, the MIR, the Christian Democrat, the party for the democracy of Ricardo Lagos) gathers in a " trust of the no" , behind the Christian-Democrat Patricio Aylwin to make countryside against the prolongation of the mandate whereas 7 parties pro-Pinochet (of which the Independent democratic union of Jaime Guzmán) link themselves in its favor.

The October 6th 1988, at the end of the countryside impassioned, 55% of Chilean reject the prolongation of the mandate of the Pinochet general whereas 45% support it.

The democratic transition

The Pinochet general organizes gladly then badly liking the political transition, names a new government, places civilians as the journalist economist Joaquín Lavín (with the function of general secretary of the government) at stations in the past held by soldiers whereas the opposition parties initially tear on the action to be taken vis-a-vis the Pinochet general, with the constitution but especially to designate a candidate common to the presidential election.

In one year, whereas the country is into full Democratic transition, the economic boom knows an unexpected acceleration. The rate of Chômage crumbles to 6% of the active population whereas Chile becomes the first exporting country of South America, the first customer of the EEC and that the rate of sound GNP passes in one year, from 5,8% to 10%.

In November, the government names a new council for the central bank where it makes enter two men of the left to the side of two consensual candidate and men of the right, Andres Bianchi, to chair it. The Army is altered but the most important stations are allotted to close relations of the Pinochet general.

The December 14th 1989, the Chilean voters elect a new president of the republic and a Parliament made up of 120 deputies and 83 senators. Contrary to the old constitution of 1925, it is an election with two turns in order to make it possible to the new president to have a real majority base popular in the country to avoid the répététion from what had occurred in 1970. Three candidates clash: a Christian-Democrat, Patricio Alwyn supported on a government program by all the parties of the coalition of the trust of No except for the extreme-left and the Communist party, a candidate pinochetist, Hernán Büchi and a candidate of center-droite, Francisco Javier Errazuriz Talavera. On funds of attack to the explosive made by the Manual patriotic face Rodriguez which causes a death, Patrico Alwyn is elected as of the first turn with 57% of the voices compared with 29% with Büchi and 15% with Talavera whereas at the Parliament, if the democratic coalition carries it (36% for the democracy-Christian woman and it center-left, 24% for the left), in fact the UDI pinochetist becomes the first political training of the country (the line obtained 40% of the votes).

Patrico Alwyn takes up duty the March 11th 1990 during a ceremony of transfer of power with the Pinochet general to the joined together Parliament in Valparaiso. In one rare moment of national union, the two men are acclaimed by the members of Parliament. The Pinochet general remains then commander-in-chief of the Chilean army until in 1998.

Human account

An economic policy néolibérale

Between 1972 and 1977, the Revenu of the employees passed from 64% of GDP to 38%, while the Chilean richest 5% saw their incomes exploding (passing from 25% of the GDP in 1972 to 50% in 1975).

The Malnutrition affected half of the Chilean children then and 60% of the population could not get the minimum of proteins necessary per day. Infant mortality will strongly increase in the first years of the mode, and most of the population will be seen plunged in misery.

In 1977, the Pinochet general entrusts the nation's economy to the theorists of the school of Chicago, followers Néolibéraux of Milton Friedman.

During five years, the growth reaches 8% per annum whereas the rate of Analphabétisme regresses and that the Life expectancy passes from 63,6 years in 1975 to 74,4 years in 1990

This therapy of shock is not without social consequences. The beginning of the year 1980 coincides with a recession which sees unemployment rate reaching up to 30% of the active population (the rate will drop thereafter).

The drastic cuts in the social budgets and the program of massive privatizations cause an important rise of the inequalities. Many employees of the public sector lose their employment without much hope of reconversion.

In 1988, unemployment rate fell to 9% from the active population, inflation is reduced to 15% and whereas the GNP grows of 3,6% per annum since 1985. If the easy middle-classes and classes profited from the economic expansion, it is less the case of the popular classes. Thus, between 1974 and 1989, the incomes of the 10% of the Chilean households richest increased 28 times more quickly than the 10% of the Chilean households poorest.

The economic boom accelerates thereafter and characterizes Chile during all the decade 90 pennies the mandates of Patricio Aylwin and its successor.

The Chilean army also holds the Monopole on the exploitation of the Cuivre, sources of revenue important for the country, privilege which it preserves after the return of the democracy.

The relationship with the Vatican

The election of Jean-Paul II like pope with the beginning of the year 1980 marks, in Latin America, the backward flow of the Théologie of the release. This one will be condemned twice, in 1984 and 1986, by the Congrégation for the doctrines of the faith directed by the Cardinal Ratzinger (future Benoit XVI).

Jean-Paul II comes to Chile in 1987 where it meets the Pinochet general and recalls him that " the people have the right to enjoy his fundamental freedoms, even if it makes errors in the exercise of that-ci" and.

Angelo Sodano, which will become the " arm droit" of the Pope in 1990 and the Secretary of State of the Roman Curia (equivalent of the post of head of government), was Apostolic nuncio in Chile of 1977 with 1988.

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