We had a tour of Santiago today — I am sure that a day tour does not do the city justice. It is huge. And, unfortunately, it is very, very smoggy. We took the funicular up to a city park early this morning and could hardly make out the Andes in the distance. The city’s sprawling mass of buildings still makes an impression even with the blur of pollution.
The memory of the Pinochet dictatorship is still very much alive. Our guide simply said “it was a bad time.” And he was polite enough not to mention that Pinochet’s coup had been backed by the U.S. Returning to democracy has been a very positive experience for the country. Trade improved with the elimination of embargoes — and, in general, the life of the people became easier and more open.
We also toured Pablo Neruda’s home La Chascona– he was an avowed opponent of all Fascist movements, but was very ill at the time of Pinochet’s take-over. He actually died less than a month after the coup. His widow, Matilde (she of the crazy hair that inspired the name La Chascona) kept up his opposition and was a major voice for people’s rights throughout the Pintocnet’s regime.
Here are some pictures from La Chascona — no photos allowed inside the home:
Most remnants of Pinochet have been destroyed. Even the location of his burial plot has been kept secret for fear that it would be desecrated. As our guide said — he killed so many people, there are many who would take revenge. There is a museum (which was closed on the day we planned to visit) that deals with the Pinochet area focusing on the victims and remembrance of the repression of the time. (We learned that Pinochet sent many of his advisers to the University of Chicago to study under the economist Milton Friedman. This group was later referred to as the “Chicago boys.” Whatever they learned there did not translate into a better life for most Chileans.)
It is weird to talk to people for whom democracy is a new experience. Pinochet was turned out of office in 198 — the coup was in 1973. He called for an election with the clear idea that he would win — after all, the opposition had no newspapers, no way to gather strength. He was wrong. Today the current president — Michelle Bacholet — is in her second term after a gap of 4 years. Chilean law does not allow consecutive terms. (Perhaps a good idea in the U.S??) She was very popular after her first term, but, according to our guide, has made many, many mistakes this time around. In today’s complicated world, I wonder how mistakes can be avoided.
Late lunch at Bocanariz, a wine bar recommended by our friend Lucy Comerford who spent time in Santiago not long ago teaching English. It was just steps from our hotel. A perfect stop. The feature wine flights and I was happy to give the bubbles flight a try. Delicious! We started with tapas and then main courses. All terrific. A plus was meeting a group of young men dining next to us….from Louisville! They were from the restaurant Rye — and I’m sure eating their way through their week in Chile as a tax deduction. Very nice guys.
A couple of funny things from the day. Didn’t know that there was such tension (maybe not the right word) between Chileans and Argentinians. Certainly not in the south — there people refer to Argentina as “we are neighbors.” But here’s a Santiago joke….”Do you know how an Argentinian commits suicide? He climbs to the top of his ego and jumps.” Yikes! A more gentle funny thing is the name given to Santiago’s high-end financial district: San-hattan. Very funny.