La Moneda’s darkest day A SOMBRE government ceremony this week marked the 40th anniversary of the coup by General Augusto Pinochet that toppled the chaotic Socialist government of Salvador Allende, unleashing political repression and, eventually, economic recovery. The ceremony was held on a small patio inside La Moneda, the presidential palace in Santiago that was bombed by the air force in 1973. Chile’s president, Sebastián Piñera, spoke eloquently of the need for reconciliation. The only problem was that half of the guests didn’t show up. They were across town at a rival ceremony, organised by the centre-left.It was an illustration of the division that still blights Chile. Under Mr Piñera, the right, more than in previous years, has embraced the anniversary, arguing that September 11th, 1973 was a tragedy for all Chileans. But the left does not accept this; it says there were those who stood on the side of justice, democracy and human rights, and those who didn’t. Reconciliation is in short supply. Although three-fifths of the population was born after the coup, a survey taken by CERC, a pollster, suggested that three-...
via The Economist: The Americas http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21586339-successful-country-past-still-haunts-divided-coup?fsrc=rss%7Came
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