Augusto PinochetAugusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general and dictator who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of the Republic by the junta in 1974 and becoming the de facto dictator of Chile, and from 1981 to 1990 as de jure president after a new constitution, which confirmed him in the office, was approved by a referendum in 1980. His rule remains the longest of any Chilean leader in history.
Christian Democratic Party (Chile)The Christian Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata Cristiano, PDC) is a Christian democratic political party in Chile. There have been three Christian Democrat presidents in the past, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Patricio Aylwin, and Eduardo Frei Montalva. Customarily, the PDC backs specific initiatives in an effort to bridge socialism and laissez-faire capitalism. This economic system has been called "social capitalism" and is heavily influenced by Catholic social teaching or, more generally, Christian ethics.
President of ChileThe president of Chile (Presidente de Chile), officially known as the President of the Republic of Chile (Presidente de la República de Chile), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible for both government administration and state administration. Although its role and significance have changed over time, and its position and relations with other actors in the national political organization have also evolved, it remains one of the most prominent political offices in the country.
Michelle BacheletVerónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (βeˈɾonika miˈʃel βaʃeˈle ˈxeɾja; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018 for the Socialist Party of Chile. She is the first woman to hold the Chilean presidency. After leaving the presidency in 2010 and before becoming eligible for re-election, she was appointed as the first executive director of the newly established United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Chilean Constitution of 1980The Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile of 1980 (Constitución Política de la República de Chile) is the fundamental law in force in Chile. It was approved and promulgated under the military dictatorship headed by Augusto Pinochet, being ratified by the Chilean citizenry through a referendum on September 11, 1980, although being held under restrictions and without electoral registers. While 69% of the population was reported to have voted yes, the vote was questioned by hundreds of denunciations of irregularities and fraud.
History of ChileThe territory of Chile has been populated since at least 3000 BC. By the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors began to colonize the region of present-day Chile, and the territory was a colony between 1540 and 1818, when it gained independence from Spain. The country's economic development was successively marked by the export of first agricultural produce, then saltpeter and later copper. The wealth of raw materials led to an economic upturn, but also led to dependency, and even wars with neighboring states.
Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990)An authoritarian military dictatorship ruled Chile for seventeen years, between 11 September 1973 and 11 March 1990. The dictatorship was established after the democratically elected socialist government of Salvador Allende was overthrown in a coup d'état backed by the United States on 11 September 1973. During this time, the country was ruled by a military junta headed by General Augusto Pinochet. The military used the breakdown of democracy and the economic crisis that took place during Allende's presidency to justify its seizure of power.
Carabineros de ChileCarabineros de Chile (Carabiniers of Chile) are the Chilean national law enforcement gendarmerie, who have jurisdiction over the entire national territory of the Republic of Chile. Created in 1927, their mission is to maintain order and enforce the laws of Chile. They reported to the Ministry of National Defense through the Undersecretary of Carabineros until 2011 when the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security gained full control over them.
Gabriel BoricGabriel Boric Font (ɡaˈβɾjel ˈβoɾitʃ ˈfont; born 11 February 1986) is a Chilean politician who has been serving as the President of Chile since 11 March 2022. Boric gained prominence as a student leader during his time studying law at the University of Chile. He was president of its influential student federation during the massive student protests that began in 2011. Prior to his presidency, Boric served in the Chamber of Deputies from 2014 to 2022, representing the Magallanes and Antarctic district.
ChileansChileans (Chilenos, tʃiˈlenos) are an ethnic group native to the country of Chile and its neighboring insular territories. Most Chileans share a common culture, history, ancestry and language. The overwhelming majority of Chileans are the product of varying degrees of admixture between European ethnic groups (predominantly Spaniards and Basques) with peoples indigenous to Chile's modern territory (predominantly Mapuche).
