state of emergency in argentina and chili

[xlaurax]

does anyone have any information or true stories about the events in the 1970's state of emergency that took place in argentina and chili

[vehelpfulguy]

chili - type of food (with an 'l' missing)

Chile - country in South America

[xlaurax]

chili as in the country

[casaespana]

chili as in the country

That is a state of emergency!

[noxlumos]

Laura vehelpfulguy was pointing out that you spelled Chile wrong. When it's a country it's spelt Chile when it's a food it's spelled chilli.

There was a military coup on 11th Sept 1973 and a state of emergency was declared to enable the military to maintain the power they had just seized from the socialist Allende Govt. All things socialist were repressed brutally with murder squads, disappearances curfews during the following years.

It's a very complex subject but this website is quite simple and brief and will tell you far more than I can here.

http://www.remember-chile.org.uk/inside/HRQ83-05-04f.htm

[bernardo]

There was a clampdown on left-wing activists, trade unionists, communists, socialists etc. About 3000 people were killed or disappeared. The actions were often used as an excuse for harassing and abusing youing people and students generally. Eventually a referendum in 1989 decided that the dictator (Augusto Pinochet) would retire in 1990 and democratic elections would be held. If Allende had remained in power, Chile would have gone on a path of left-wing development similar to that in Cuba or present-day Venezuela.

A similar military take-over in Argentina took place in 1976 when the civilian government was overthrown. The military dictatorship eventually collapsed in 1983 when democracy was restored after the defeat of Argentina in the Falklands War.