Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis

With a long history of democratic government, Chileans were shocked when a military government took over in 1973 and stayed in power for 17 years. The regime, led by Pinochet, was brutal, with large numbers of Chileans killed, tortured, and imprisoned during its reign.

Due to its geography and people, Chileans were relatively united prior to 1970. The country is isolated by ocean, desert, and mountains. Its people are relatively homogeneous in ethnic background. However, as a former Spanish colony, there is a significant division among economic classes. The Spanish established large land holdings, which led to an oligarchy controlling “most of the land, wealth, and politics” (145). In the late 1940s, the adoption of a secret ballot and the granting of vote to women changed that balance of power. Left-leaning parties gained more power and competed with centrists and right-leaning parties. Facing gridlock, all three coalitions were frustrated with politics by 1969.

In 1970, Salvador Allende, of the left, was elected President. He received the largest share of the vote, but that was only 36%. Despite his lack of a mandate, Allende “rejected moderation, caution, and compromise” (150). He implemented policies that were unacceptable to the opposition. For example, he nationalized big businesses, converted large estates into peasant cooperatives, and allowed large numbers of Cubans into Chile.