Nation of Enemies: Chile Under Pinochet (Revised)

A Nation of Enemies: Chile Under Pinochet is a fairly balanced look at Chilean society under General Augusto Pinochet with interviews with both civilians of Chille and the military officials that were shrouded in power through 1989. The United States did not want Salvador Allende in power because they feared a Communist force uprising, so they sought to destabilize his regime virtually any way they could. Eventually Augusto Pinochet seized power and proved to be even worse for the people of Chille and a thorny issue for American policy makers who often sent mixed signals to the Pinochet regime often condeming actions, while still providing Chille with aid. For the Chilean people, Pinochet was a blessing to some and a curse for others, the economy went into the toilet twice because Pinochet became two enamored with his men in the Chicago Boys in the second case and even when the economy was thriving, the money never really touched the poorest of the poor and when the economy faltered the newly secure suddenly became poor again through mismanagement and disillusionment began to spread among those who weren't prospering. Pinochet was a deathnail for leftists who were either forced into excile or excrusiatingly mualed and tortured by the Contreas led DINA and other military forces. There was no middle road for Chille, America feared a Communist Allende so he couldn't be allowed to retain power and under Pinochet many people were murdered for Political Beliefs or even potential sympathies for the Communists. Schools were taken over by the military personal and free thought was stiffled, professors were fired, and the curriculim was changed to embrace the new culture, many mothers and fathers lost their children to prisons never to be found again facing false hope and conflicting information...but at least Pinochet wasn't a Communist. My one complaint is that many of the personal intimate stories felt chopped up to fit everything else in.

Pinochet is one of the most controversial dictators in Latin America. Sponsored by the United States he would sprout a reign of torture and death throughout Chile. This book covers what occurred under Pinochet in excellent detail. It shows how modern Chile was shaped out of the horrors that were seen by this regime. It is very well written and stays on thesis throughout the whole book. If you are just getting started on studying Chile this is an excellent book to start with. It really gives you a sense of this time period without being overbearing.

There has been a lot of trash written about Pinochet, but this book along with Soldiers in a Narrow Land have a very balanced perspective. As the title states, there were both supporters of Pinochet and the Armed Forces, and there were opponents. Allende was not skillful in leading his country through the changes of the seventies, so a ruluctant Pinochet and the Armed Forces removed him. The excesses of the reign of terror following the coup de etat are unforgiveable, but one should remember that in Argentina the dirty war killed close to twenty thousand, where Chile's coup and terror killed 3,000.The authors do a great job describing the successes and failures of the Pinochet regime. Also a good description of the power struggles within the Armed Forces themselves (Air Force versus Army). The one thing needing improvement in this book is an update on what has since happened in Chile.Since I am marrying a Chilean, I found this book a great way to know more about this country. It describes the still powerful emotion in Chile over Pinochet (positive and negative).

I have lived in Chile for close on 4 years now. I am not sure it will ever be possible to fully understand the Chilean psych. However - this book does bring you an inch or two closer to doing so. It certainly helps you understand why Chilean think and react the way they do to the subject of the dictatorship. However I believe that before being published in paperback -this book should have an additional chapter on the last decade and the dramatic changes that have taken place since 1991.

I keep buying copies of this book for my friends, both gringos and chileans. I've been in Chile almost 3 years and this book has done more for my understanding of the dynamics of left and right in this contry than I thought a book could do. It is well balanced and very detailed. You will read here many things that people just won't talk about but are critical to understanding contemporary Chile. If you have any interest in this country, you need to read this book.