Chile's 9/11

This week Chile celebrates independence from Spain with three days of Fiestas Patrias, though there was evidence late last week that lots of folks got an early start.  Chilean flags are everywhere, and activities abound.  There was a little cognitive dissonance the week before because Fiestas Patrias comes right after the commemoration of their own 9/11.  In fact, Chile just commemorated the 40th anniversary of the overthrown of the Allende government by the Chilean military.

Poster for 9/11/13 Demonstration in Valparaíso

What followed was 17 years of the Pinochet dictatorship that was characterized by well-known oppression and less talked-about economic development.  That dichotomy marks the ambivalence that of the 9/11 commemoration.  As explained to me by the one person I go for explaining all thing Chilean, the Allende government was trying to do too much too fast without enough support.  While the overthrow was unjustified, there were serious issues that led to coup, so says my friend.  What happened as a result of the coup was unequivocally horrible: general oppression, detentions, torture, disappearances, and . . .  killings.  Then, in 1989, there was a vote, yes a VOTE ("forced" by  international pressure), which compelled Pinochet to step down even though he stayed in the government.

Photo from an exhibit at PUC-V on 9/10/13 showing
a  demonstration to encourage people tovote "NO"
on whether the Pinochet regime should be
given more years in power.  

Chile went the path of South Africa, and decided not to pursue war crimes perpetrators. Amnesty. And some of those "forgiven" are still in the government.  My friend, with evident pain on his face, asked me to imagine a grandfather sitting with his grandchild at a restaurant and seeing the man who detained and tortured him at the table across the room with his grandchild.  That's the residual pain that is at the heart, it seems to me, of the Chilean commendation of September 11, 1973.

Chileans are confronting their past.  As I have already mentioned, there is a very fine Museum of Memory in Santiago that is dedicated not only to the coup and its aftermath but also, more generally, to the topic of international human rights.  This balance of the general and the particular is just one of the things about the museum that it truly striking.  Another is the use of video from that day showing the coverage of the coup. Most inconceivable, at least to me, is the video of Chilean jets bombing the Chilean presidential building, La Moneda, in the center of Santiago.

Another picture from PUC-V exhibit.  The coup was televised.

At another station, a visitor can hear Salvador Allende's final message to the Chilean people as heard on the radio.  

One small detail from that day that I have since learned is that Allende ultimately shot himself with a gun that was a gift from Fidel Castro.  

Chile has come a long way since those dark days of 9/11/73 and the 17 years of Pinochet's facism, and they have come out the other side with a distinct and palpable national pride.   There seems to be a more clear-eyed and nuanced understanding of their past than we have in the States, but that may be because I admire the hard-working but graciously modest people whom I have encountered since arriving in mid-July.

From PUC-V exhibit, a poster reminding people of
the "disappeared" during Pinochet's reign. I learned
of Pinochet from the Sting song "The Dance Alone"

I hope I have not misrepresented Chile's past in this post, but I have found it very moving to be here during this time.  While the events of 9/11/73 and its aftermath still affect Chile, I find Chileans deeply proud of their country as evidenced by the preponderance of tri-color flags adorning the country.  So I end by saying "¡Vive Chile!"  y "Felices Fiestas Patrias!"

PUC-V: A Variation on a Theme

Art on the interior wall of main entrance of PUC-V off of Avenida Brasil

The Casa Central of PUC-Valparaiso bears more than a passing resemblance to its big sibling in Santiago, though--like Valpo itself--it is a little more rough around the edges and more interesting.  I can't claim any sort of authority on the matter, but there seems to be a bit less smugness at PUC-V and a more welcoming spirit.  Regardless of the accuracy of that judgment, I really, really like working here.

Situated on the corner of Avenida Argentina and Avenida Brasil, Casa Central is an imposing and dignified anchor to the flat Plan of southern Valpo, far away from the much-praised Cerros or hills that make Valparaiso a draw. 


Like its more-renowned older brother in the capital, PUC-V's interior has a hushed, cloistered atmosphere that blocks out the measured chaos of local buses--collectivas or micros--vendors and the ubiquitous street dogs just beyond the threshold.

Just like any college in the States, student enthusiasm generates a lot of energy.  The bulletin boards are covered in fliers for organizational meetings and events, concerts, and apartment rentals.  On Wednesday, a collection of Vegan groups set up in the central coffee and snack area.  Squint really hard and it could be just another day in the Tate Center court.

Tucked away on the third floor, off of an inauspicious foyer, are the offices of Curriculum and Formative Development of which the Unit for the Improvement of University Teaching is a part.  The folks in these offices will be my colleagues for the next five months, and I feel very fortunate to be able to call them such.  On my first Monday, there was reception for me that featured a home-made confection lovingly prepared by one of my new friends, and today they treated me and my family to lunch, fellowship, and general hospitality.

While the teaching issues and faculty development work are very familiar to me, the unique circumstances, culture, and challenges make this a novel and exciting opportunity.  One unexpected perk is free lunch in the University's casino.  Every day around noon, gracious Lorena comes around to pass out tickets for almuerzo, and around 1:30, folks from the office who can make it head down to the basement for a lunch of basic Chilean fare:  cazuelo, pasteles de papas, sopas, ensaladas composed of highly segregated vegetables, pan, and a postre--today was flan.

The day starts at 9.  Lunch at 1:30.  Work until 6 after which the streets feels a bit like New York City with people rushing to catch buses or the Metro.

I work in a office with three other people that looks out on the Chilean Congress building, which is housed in Valpo while the other seats of government are in Santiago, a legacy of Pinochet. 

Today was a big day: my first faculty development session, a four-hour workshop that kicked off a module on teaching for learning for 22 faculty working on their diplomas in University teaching.   Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to a fun-weekend exploring the Valpo hills with E and Z who arrived last Sunday.  It will be a nice breather from a packed week.