Chile under Pinochet

Bawden

Focuses on armed forces. Influence of US - soldier adopted concept of subversion which legitimised all means of "modern warfare" to defend the country. Though not main factor. Junta's reluctance to halt Pinochet's concentration of power, ongoing support from the civilian bourgeoisie were all factors for the stability of the regime.

US

debatable whether this is determining factor - funded fights though CIA, economic sanctions, backed coup against Allende. but were problems Allende had anyway.

New memory logic

even if the 1973 takeover was originally justifiable as an emergency measure to save the country in ruins and at risk of civil war, the Pinochet led junta ended up betraying itself and Chile.

Referendum in 1988

1980 Constitution - Pinochet 8 more years then plebiscite. Confident in 1980 that would win pleb, before recession. Outbreak of opposition, government had to find way to channel opposition. misplaced belief in his own popularity.

Pinochet speeches

Allende government has exceeded the bounds of legitimacy by violating the fundamental rights of liberty, of speech, and of education; the right to congregate, to strike and to petition Government has destroyed national unity (saviours to preserve the country) We will not allow ourselves to be dragged down either by false ideas of apparent salvation

Ensalaco

Aware of role of UN and efforts of Carter administration, but centred on Chilean hr movement. Defeats claim that hr activity was internationally sponsored as a campaign to undermine Pinochet government.

Stern - 4 frameworks

Began with majority legitimacy in 1973. 4 memory frameworks 1. Memory as salvation, partisans of junta remember military intervention as salvation of a society in ruins and on edge of violent bloodbath.- favoured by regime. 2. Memory as cruel rupture - counter official frameworks built by victims, critics, human rights activists etc. document the brutal new reality of life under military rule. Relatives of those who vanished see it as cruel and unending rupture of life. Open wound that cannot heal. 3. memory as persecution and awakening. Religious activist who supported victims and families, pushed for hr concerns into the public domain, bore witness to repression. not just deaths but torture, imprisonment, exile, employment purges, dismantling of socioeconomic rights. 4. memory as closure - mindful forgetting, closing of the box on times of dirty war - these times been thankfully superseded, would do no good to society to revise the wounds and excesses of those time. Think of it as chapter in a book, happens - reactions of victims - how they want to deal with it - moving on - though is a question of emphasis over time, they do coexist sometimes. Argument of memory as a betrayed salvation, prompting Chileans to see the meaning of junta rule through different lenses is relevant to the period following the economic crisis, where a shock to the system caused many to rethink their government and its role in Chile

Problem

Chile crystallises around one person, different to Argentina and Brazil.

Economy

Dependent on copper exports, vulnerable to international price fluctuations, significant in 1970, drop in copper exacerbates problems. growth is stable but not high in 1960-70s. After 1990 - much more agreement on economic policy, little desire to expand role of state in economy and undermine foreign investment. Growth of poverty and inequality, deficit in public services.

Hunees

Economic policy Chicago boys - main economic team - neo-liberalism - national restoration of country Gremialistas - catholic church - all have similar backgrounds, came through same university, united under a student at the time - end up being in Odoplan and Chicago boys - ultra conservative catholics - Gremial is like a guild in English, catholic vision of society, not individualists, it is corporate and hierarchical. Traditional historiography argues two separate groups with different perspectives, small group of people in charge who pushed through economic policy Neo-liberalism became more than just an economic policy - large group working together Odoplan - 3 political purposes - recruitment, social conscious, planned a lot to combat extreme poverty

Consolidation of regime

Gov murders generals abroad International banks financed regime Opposition divided and repressed. Military budget increased Institutionalise itself - 2 plebiscites Stern - Pinochet got popular support through repression as well as through hearts and minds (propaganda, censorship and memory) Balance between force and consensus - contrast to Argentina where violence became routine as domination was not about gaining hegemony among opponents, crush them instead.

Change over time

Important, do not treat regime as a monolith, it changes over 20 years.

Opposition

Main opposition from Catholic Church, trade union movement weakened, dividl opposition exists but unable to come together until 1980s. Growing opposition after 1983 - opposition party activity resumed but still divided, cycles of violence, protest and repression ensued. 1987, political parties permitted again, massive demonstration erupted in 1983

Harmer

Inserts Chile into revisionist Cold War scholarship Provides evidence that Brazilian government took a more active role in the anti-Allende campaign and collaboration with the ensuing dictatorship than most previous accounts of the popular unity government have revealed. Ultimately Chilean armed forces carried out a coup to "save" la Patria from international communist intervention and to protect themselves from the domestic threat posed by the socialist party. Encouraged, supported and applauded by US government. However, civilian opposition to Allende government urged armed forces to oust Allende.

Polarisation

No powerful armed guerrillas or political militant, but scale of polarisation very great. members of Popular Unity (Allende's gov) became the enemy in holy war against marxism.

Economic crisis 1982-3

Part of LA debt crisis, Chile hit particularly hard, global interest rates and oil prices rose, copper prices were depressed. Chile heavily indebted to international banks, banking crisis, firms were bankrupt. Peso was devalued and foreign exchange reserves fell.

Constable

Pinochet favoured no economic doctrine, made ideas of young free-market economists his own. Credit he achieves due to his sponsorship of their economic program of reforms. Reprimands middle class for passivity and for elevating protection of its right to properly over democratic norms. Pinochet regime underestimated Chilean's desire for change and failed to awaken fears for the return to democratic life Shows how strong democratic traditions of Chile ultimately prevailed over the regime's draconian attempts to transform the nations polity, economy and society. - traumatic experience of dictatorship strengthened democratic values and traditions. Majority did not see violent overthrow of government, rather supported broad coalition of political parties once organisations hammered out viable agreement for democratic transition.

Coup 1973

September 11th. Military not involved in politics since 1932. Coup intended to eliminate whole political and social movements from Chilean life but no consensus at first on a new political and economic model. Shocking Pinochet - moral duty Stern - methods change over time, story of legitimising objectives shift over time, originally keeping away disaster.

Regime's supporters (Constable)

So driven by hatred of previous popular unity government that they uncritically supported the new government. Others honestly believed that the important economic transformations taking place justified, if not required, regrettable social costs.

Background

Stable democracy from 1932-1973 - only country where competitive party political was uninterrupted by coups, revolutions or assassinations. Openly left-wing and Marxists competing and going into coalitions, became part of national identity. Allende - wins in 1970, breakdown starts to occur as he tries to enact big changes (road to socialism)

Memory studies (Stern)

Story of memory studies is like story of 2 countries - a country in 1970s who's people could rarely challenge regime openly, and a country in 1980s whose people continuously challenged regime openly. memory knots - sites where the social body screams, such as politically charged anniversaries e.g. 9/11 loose memory vs. emblematic memory - emblematic memory draws out the great truths of a traumatic social experience while loose memory provides the material to create emblematic memory

Corradi

Systematic state terror Contrast - Chile, catholic church was central to the resistance, while in Argentina, Catholic Church was silent. Resistance strategies developed by oppressed - grassroots movements, collaboration between victims and the church in developing the Vicary (Vicaria de la Solidaridad) for defending and promoting human rights in Chile. - continuity of the opposition protests had significant effects on the redemocratisation in Chile.

Military rule 1973-90

US interference contributed to the breakdown of democracy and brutal military coup of 73. Headed by Pinochet - authoritarian, state terror, monetarist economics characterised regime. Economy did recover at great social cost, fell into recession again in 1982. Regime increasingly lost support and Pinochet lost a plebiscite in 1988 - then transition to democracy in 1990.

1980s were a ...

hinge in Pinochet years, economic crisis, opposition grows, strikes, rallies, assassination attempt on Pinochet, increasing visibility of human rights abusers, frostier relationship with US. Control broke apart, rallies, protests, media etc. memory underwent rapid expansion, fed into wider struggles to defeat the dictatorship.

1990

issue of justice for victims of human rights abuses remained unresolved, only been addressed in last 20 years. yet popular democracy was re-established