by ELEANOR WACHTEL
This year, 2010, marks the bicentenary of Chile – that long, narrow, isolated strip of South America, stretching from the driest desert in the world to the glaciers of Antarctica. This year, 2010, is also the twentieth anniversary of democratic government in Chile, after 17 years of military rule under Augusto Pinochet. Despite the continuing struggle to come to terms with human rights violations during the dictatorship, economic and social reforms have brought Chile into the twenty-first century as a prosperous and stable nation. Another shift: Chile has a brand-new government and president, Sebastian Pinera, who is the first elected right-wing leader in 50 years. The ouster of the long-ruling centre-left Concertacion party, despite the enormous personal popularity of outgoing president Michele Bachelet, has sparked fresh debate about the country’s direction and future.
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