The country of Chile, officially known as the Republic of Chilie, is made up of a slender strip of land that stretches along more than half of the western coast of the continent of South America. The country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Andes Mountains to its east. Chile is famously known for its diverse contrast of landscapes within a single country. The variety of exceptional beauty the country has to offer is arguably some of the best and rarest available anywhere in the world in terms of a small country. This beauty has made the country one of the most popular destinations for travelers seeking outdoor adventure.

Years before the Spaniards arrived in the country of Chile, the area was home to a variety of indigenous tribes. The first Spanish settlement was not recorded until sometime in the 16th century, beginning with Santiago in 1541. By the 18th century, there were close to a million Spaniards living within the country. During this time there was a great since of desired independence from Spain among many within the country and revolts followed. Spain made several attempts to reclaim their control over the country during a series of events known as the Reconquista, or re-conquest. Ultimately, their efforts were unsuccessful, and Chile gained total independence on February 12, 1818. Throughout history, Chile has often been involved in conflictual spats over the hands within which power is exchanged between wealthy businessmen, middle class radical groups, and military coups. Chile as we now know it is home to a greatly diverse culture of people.

Spanish is considered the native language in the country, however English is spoken by many natives. This is particularly true for individuals involved in the tourism industry, including travel agents, hotel clerks, and tour guides. Most people who visit the country arrive by airplane to Santiago, the capital of Chile. If you plan to travel outside of this area to more remote areas of land, at least a foundation in Spanish is helpful.

Weather in the country is just as diverse as its landscapes. Because the country is bordered on one side by the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains on the other side, the country is home to a variety of micro-climates. These micro-climates can have temperatures that range between 30 degrees and 100 degrees within a single season. The northern region of the country holds the record as the driest desert on earth. Depending on your location in the country, you’ll likely experience pleasant weather all year long.

In 1973 Chilean Army Commander-in-Chief General Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, known simply as Augusto Pinochet, seized power from socialist President Salvador Allende in a lighting fast coup d’état lasting only hours. Pinochet remained in power as a dictator until 1990 when he voluntarily stepped down in favor of a democratically elected president.

On September 11, 1973 Pinochet, in conjunction with leaders of the other military branches, executed a well planned coup to dispose of Allende because of the President’s refusal to follow the Constitution and Supreme Court decisions that refuted the administration. The coup lasted for less than eight hours, and there were fewer than sixty casualties, including the President who committed suicide around 2:30pm. A military junta was then established with Pinochet at the head, a role that he held until 1981 despite also being established President in 1974. Pinochet’s reign was marked by two divergent policies -  the aggressive privatization and expansion of the economy and preservation of property rights for the betterment of the nation, but also the regime brutally suppressed opposition, especially domestic communists. 

Within hours of assuming power, the military junta banned the political parties involved in the coalition supporting Allende, and they ordered all other political parties in indefinite recess. The new government targeted both the members of the opposition as well as their families. Current estimates state that during his 16 year reign, over 3,000 dissidents were killed by the government and more than 30 thousand were tortured. During this time Chile also took part in Operation Condor, a secret multi-national program intended to suppress socialists and communists in Latin America. Estimates indicate that Operation Condor led to 60 thousand deaths throughout the Americas. As a result of these actions, Pinochet was charged by an international tribunal with human rights violations and arrested in London in 1998.

Allende’s socialist government had severely harmed Chile’s economy due to the nationalization and expropriation of businesses, distortion of markets, harsh protectionism, and the subsequent economic sanctions imposed by the American Government. To prevent the impending economic collapse, Pinochet empowered the Chicago Boys to totally reform the economy, and return it to a free market model. The Chicago Boys were a group of young economists who had been educated by Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago. They had been pushing for reforms since before 1970 and after the junta was established, their ideas were implemented. The reforms have led Chile’s economy to be one of the world’s healthiest at this time with much foreign investment.

A new constitution was established in 1980 calling for a referendum in 1998 to decide if Pinochet should have an additional eight year term as president. On October 5, 1998 the referendum was held and a majority of the voters chose new leadership. On March 11, 1990 Pinochet left the presidency transferring power to Patricio Alywin, Chile’s first democratically elected president in almost 20 years. 

Augusto Pinochet was a major political figure in international politics during the 1970s and 1980s and his regime was noted in its schizophrenic nature. While brutally suppressive of many human rights, including the right of assembly and redress, the regine was equally very supportive of property rights and has led to one of the world’s strongest economies. Finally, he did something very few dictators have ever done. He stepped down in a peaceful transition to a democratic government.

The Chilean Humanist Party is a progressive political party which is part of a greater movement of Humanist organizations around the world. These various Humanist groups all share certain basic principles regarding social justice, human rights and a model of economic development that is more humane and focused on the needs of workers than mainstream economic models. However, these groups often differ in details about strategy and the type of action that is needed to advance their cause. Humanism, as a social and political ideology, came into being after World War II in response to the vast devastation of human life that occurred during that war.

Founded officially in 1984, the Humanist International organization created and adopted documents upon which their principles rest. These include The Declaration of Principles, The Thesis, The Basis for Political Action as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created by the United Nations after World War II. The core values espoused by these documents are that human life is more important than money or power, that all people are equal and should be afforded equal rights under the law, that people have a right to freedom of belief and ideas and a commitment to nonviolent political action as a means of achieving these ideals.

Chile was the first country in the world to have a candidate elected to political office as a Humanist party member. In 1990, Laura Rodrigues was elected as a Chilean representative of the Chilean Humanist Party. In 2005, Chili had another milestone in Humanist candidates running for political office when Thomas Hirsch won 5.37% of the votes for president as a Chilean Humanist Party member. Hirsch ran as part of the coalition known as Juntos Podemos Mas (Together We Can Do More). Although he did not succeed in his bid for the Chilean Presidency, the large number of votes that he captured represented a victory in the advancement of the Humanist Party in Chili and world democratic elections in general.

The various Humanist parties around the world do not always agree on the details of strategy for advancement of their values. The differing groups do not all operate under a single banner, and there is some measure of suspicion between groups. There is, perhaps not surprisingly, an attitude of questioning and criticism, along with a strong belief in rational thinking as a solution to social and political problems, underlying all Humanist tradition. Nonetheless, elections that have occurred in Chili involving candidates from the Chilean Humanist Party demonstrate that Humanism is a political force with popular appeal and the ability to garner votes in democratic countries where they exist.