VALPARAÍSO — Demonstrators clashed with security forces across Chile on Sept. 11, marking 53 years since the 1973 military coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende and installed the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Confrontations were reported in Valparaíso, a major port city, and in the capital Santiago.
In Valparaíso, clashes occurred along Avenida Brasil near the Universidad Católica de Valparaíso Engineering headquarters. Local media reported protesters throwing objects at uniformed officers. Police deployed tear gas to disperse crowds and detained 24 individuals.
Similar confrontations were reported in Santiago, where organizations marched in remembrance of dictatorship victims. Police responded to barricades erected by masked protesters who hurled Molotov cocktails, stones and fireworks. Officers deployed water cannons and tear gas to control the demonstrations.
The annual commemoration of the 1973 coup often results in clashes. On Sept. 11, 2020, the 47th anniversary, protests in Santiago's central Plaza Italia led to more than 100 arrests.
President José Antonio Kast announced his administration would not hold official acts to commemorate dictatorship victims, saying his focus is on public policies that improve quality of life for all Chileans. "We cannot erase history," Kast said. "Just as I cannot erase history, neither can I ask our compatriots that we be condemned by our history to not be able to look to the future of our nation."
The 1973 coup, backed by the United States, ended Allende's socialist government and began 17 years of military rule under General Pinochet. Thousands of people were killed, disappeared or tortured during the dictatorship, which lasted until 1990.
Kast's decision to forgo official commemoration has intensified a divisive national debate over the coup's legacy. Many Chileans view the government's stance as an attempt to rehabilitate Pinochet's image. Human rights organizations and victims' families have called for continued remembrance and justice.
