HISTORY
About
10,000 years ago, migrating Indians settled in fertile valleys
and along the coast of what is now Chile. The Incas briefly extended
their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the area's barrenness
prevented extensive settlement. The first Europeans to arrive
in Chile were Diego de Almagro and his band of Spanish conquistadors,
who came from Peru seeking gold in 1535. The Spanish encountered
hundreds of thousands of Indians from various cultures in the
area that modern Chile now occupies. These cultures supported
themselves principally through slash-and-burn agriculture and
hunting. The conquest of Chile began in earnest in 1540 and was
carried out by Pedro de Valdivia, one of Francisco Pizarro's lieutenants,
who founded the city of Santiago on February 12, 1541. Although
the Spanish did not find the extensive gold and silver they sought,
they recognized the agricultural potential of Chile's central
valley, and Chile became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.
The drive
for independence from Spain was precipitated by usurpation of
the Spanish throne by Napoleon's brother Joseph in 1808. A national
junta in the name of Ferdinand--heir to the deposed king--was
formed on September 18, 1810. The junta proclaimed Chile an autonomous
republic within the Spanish monarchy. A movement for total independence
soon won a wide following. Spanish attempts to reimpose arbitrary
rule during what was called the "Reconquista" led to
a prolonged struggle.
Intermittent
warfare continued until 1817, when an army led by Bernardo O'Higgins,
Chile's most renowned patriot, and José San Martín,
hero of Argentine independence, crossed the Andes into Chile and
defeated the royalists. On February 12, 1818, Chile was proclaimed
an independent republic under O'Higgins' leadership. The political
revolt brought little social change, however, and 19th century
Chilean society preserved the essence of the stratified colonial
social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics
and the Roman Catholic Church. A strong presidency eventually
emerged, but wealthy landowners remained extremely powerful. Toward
the end of the 19th century, the government in Santiago consolidated
its position in the south by ruthlessly suppressing the Mapuche
Indians. In 1881, it signed a treaty with Argentina confirming
Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan. As a result of
the War of the Pacific with Peru and Bolivia (1879-83), Chile
expanded its territory northward by almost one-third and acquired
valuable nitrate deposits, the exploitation of which led to an
era of national affluence. Chile established a parliamentary democracy
in the late 19th century, but degenerated into a system protecting
the interests of the ruling oligarchy. By the 1920s, the emerging
middle and working classes were powerful enough to elect a reformist
president, whose program was frustrated by a conservative congress.
In the 1920s, Marxist groups with strong popular support arose.
Continuing
political and economic instability resulted with the rule of the
quasidictatorial Gen. Carlos Ibanez (1924-32). When constitutional
rule was restored in 1932, a strong middle-class party, the Radicals,
emerged. It became the key force in coalition governments for
the next 20 years. During the period of Radical Party dominance
(1932-52), the state increased its role in the economy.
The 1964
presidential election of Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei-Montalva
by an absolute majority initiated a period of major reform. Under
the slogan "Revolution in Liberty," the Frei administration
embarked on far-reaching social and economic programs, particularly
in education, housing, and agrarian reform, including rural unionization
of agricultural workers. By 1967, however, Frei encountered increasing
opposition from leftists, who charged that his reforms were inadequate,
and from conservatives, who found them excessive. At the end of
his term, Frei had accomplished many noteworthy objectives, but
he had not fully achieved his party's ambitious goals. In 1970,
Senator Salvador Allende, a Marxist and member of Chile's Socialist
Party, who headed the "Popular Unity" (UP) coalition
of socialists, communists, radicals, and dissident Christian Democrats,
won a plurality of votes in a three-way contest and was named
President by the Chilean Congress. His program included the nationalization
of private industries and banks, massive land expropriation, and
collectivization. Allende's program also included the nationalization
of U.S. interests in Chile's major copper mines.
Elected
with only 36% of the vote and by a plurality of only 36,000 votes,
Allende never enjoyed majority support in the Chilean Congress
or broad popular support. Domestic production declined; severe
shortages of consumer goods, food, and manufactured products were
widespread; and inflation reached 1,000% per annum. Mass demonstrations,
recurring strikes, violence by both government supporters and
opponents, and widespread rural unrest ensued in response to the
general deterioration of the economy. By 1973, Chilean society
had split into two hostile camps.
A military coup overthrew Allende on September 11, 1973. As the armed forces bombarded the presidential palace, Allende reportedly committed suicide. A military government, led by General Augusto Pinochet, took over control of the country. The first years of the regime in particular were marked by serious human rights violations. A new Constitution was approved by a plebiscite on September 11, 1980, and General Pinochet became President of the Republic for an 8-year term. In its later years, the regime gradually permitted greater freedom of assembly, speech, and association, to include trade union activity. In contrast to its authoritarian political rule, the military government pursued decidedly laissez-faire economic policies. During its 16 years in power, Chile moved away from economic statism toward a largely free market economy that fostered an increase in domestic and foreign private investment. In a plebiscite on October 5, 1988, General Pinochet was denied a second 8-year term as president. Chileans voted for elections to choose a new president and the majority of members of a two-chamber congress. On December 14, 1989, Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin, the candidate of a coalition of 17 political parties called the Concertacion, was elected president. Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994 and was succeeded by another Christian Democrat, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (son of the previous President), leading the same coalition, for a 6-year term. Ricardo Lagos Escobar of the Socialist Party and the Party for Democracy led the Concertacion to a narrower victory in 2000 presidential elections. His term ended on March 11, 2006, when President Michelle Bachelet Jeria, of the Socialist Party, took office.
