Remnants of Chile’s Dictatorship in Santiago, Santiago, Chile

In my recent article about Santiago, I noted that Chileans, though friendly and welcoming, seemed more subdued than their Latin American neighbors. Throughout my stay, I heard people talk about a persistent sadness in the country. They attributed it to the lingering effects of kidnappings, torture, disappearances, and deaths that characterized the military regime from 1973 to 1990. I was intrigued, so I began a search for remnants of Chile’s dictatorship in Santiago…

Chile was a stable democracy for more than 40 years when a socialist politician, Salvador Allende, assumed the presidency in 1970. Allende pursued new social programs, land reform, and the nationalization of key industries. And that agenda put him on a collision course with conservatives, the military, and the United States—which feared the spread of socialism in its backyard.

Allende’s policies sparked inflation, food shortages, strikes, and protests. The President’s opponents blamed leftist ideology for the crisis and demanded his ouster. So the military stepped in to restore order.  ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).