What to know about pivotal Chile coup, 50 years later

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What to know about pivotal Chile coup, 50 years later

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Half a century ago, Chile's La Moneda presidential palace went up in flames after being bombed by air force jets. Inside, socialist president Salvador Allende committed suicide as a coup d'etat unfolded.

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A survey conducted by pollster Cerc-Mori in May 2023 found that 36 percent of people believe Pinochet "liberated Chile from Marxism," the highest figure measured in 28 years of polling. This suggests that there is a growing minority of Chileans who view Pinochet in a positive light.
In May 2023, the far-right Republican Party led by conservative lawyer José Antonio Kast, a Pinochet apologist, won 23 of 51 seats on the council that will draft a new constitution. In the days leading up to the coup anniversary, Kast's party and other right-wing groups refused to sign a commitment to defend democracy from authoritarian threats put forward by Boric.
2019 wave of social protests led to a referendum in which 80% of Chileans voted to replace the Pinochet-era constitution, which is widely blamed for the country's deep economic inequality. However, in 2023, more than 61% of voters rejected a constitutional draft that would have made Chile one of the most progressive countries in Latin America.
During the 17-year dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, more than 3,200 people were killed or forcibly disappeared, and about 38,000 were tortured. These human rights abuses were carried out by Pinochet's security forces, who targeted political opponents, labor activists, and students.
Chile, once a model of democracy and stability in Latin America, became deeply divided after the election of Marxist Salvador Allende in 1970.
During the Cold War, the United States secretly intervened in Chile's economy and supported opposition groups in an attempt to prevent the spread of communism.
The first investigations into the crimes of the Pinochet dictatorship began in 1998, and more than 250 former agents have been convicted and imprisoned. However, the fate of hundreds of victims still remains unknown.
The 50th anniversary of the Chilean coup d'état comes at a time when the country is led by Gabriel Boric, a 37-year-old leftist who is a self-described admirer of Salvador Allende. Boric came to power in December 2021, following a wave of social protests that swept the country in 2019.
A 2023 survey by Activa Research found that 60% of Chileans born after the 1973 coup disapprove of Pinochet, this suggests that younger generations have a more negative view of his legacy.
Allende's socialist policies were widely seen as contributing to a worsening economic crisis, hyperinflation, and food shortages. These problems exacerbated political tensions and led to protests.

Publish date

09

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08

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2023

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12

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00

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RFI

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Chile commemorates 50th anniversary of civil-military coup
Chile

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https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20230908-what-to-know-about-pivotal-chile-coup-50-years-later