Chile
A three-year-old Marxist government was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto Pinochet, which ruled until a freely-elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, first implemented by the Pinochet dictatorship, led to unprecedented growth in 1991-97 and helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government.
Ricardo Lagos won the second round of presidential elections in January 2000, promising to reduce unemployment and to boost economic growth. His government undertook a major poverty-alleviation program, and oversaw a strong economy. It also removed many of the legal and constitutional vestiges of the Pinochet years. However, unemployment remained high.
In January 2006, following the center-left victory in elections, Michelle Bachelet won the presidency, to take over from President Lagos after a March swearing-in. A former health minister, and later defense minister, she was politicized by the military coup of September 1973 that brought Pinochet to power. Her father was a general in the Air Force who was opposed to the military government and died in prison. She worked undercover for the Socialist Youth and she was held for weeks with her mother, in torture and detention centers before being allowed to flee the country in 1975.
Beginning with this election, the six-year presidential term was shortened to four years.
Chile is considered to have one of South America's most robust and open economies. The country is a member of the Common Market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization. Chile currently holds a number of free trade agreements (FTAs) with various countries, such as Canada, Mexico, South Korea, the United States, as well as with the European Union. The FTA with the United States entered into force in January 2004, and will lead to completely duty free bilateral trade within 12 years.
For much of the 20th century, Chilean politics were marked by a three-way division between the political right, center and left, with each holding roughly one-third of the vote. Chilean politics today revolve around two large political blocs: the center-left governing coalition and the center-right opposition. The two-party system makes it very difficult for anyone to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party. Chile also has several small fringe-left parties (including a largely unreconstructed Communist Party), which are not represented in the Executive Branch or the Congress, but which have elected representatives in some local governments.
In 2004 President Lagos described the lack of progress in improving relations with Bolivia as a "great failure" of his administration. The two countries have had no diplomatic relations for decades because of a dispute over access to a Pacific port. Under Lagos' presidency, Chile signed a free-trade deal with the United States - the first South American country to do so. In the run up to the 2003 Iraq war, Lagos resisted lobbying from Washington and London and refused to back military action.
Chile is a politically stable multi-party democracy and there are no current, active threats political stability, visitors or expatriate residents. The country is relatively free of crime and official corruption. The authoritarian Pinochet-era constitution has been revised and the judicial system overhauled. Nevertheless, police occasionally use tear gas and water cannon against demonstrations, which take place from time to time. Avoid large crowds and demonstrations.
Anti-tank mines and landmines are a danger in remote sections of several popular national reserves and parks near northern borders, including Lauca and Llullaillaco National Parks, Salar de Surire National Monument, and Los Flamencos National Reserve. There is also unexploded munitions in the desert areas bordering Chile and Peru outside of military zones.
