Discussion Questions

  • In what ways was Chilean economic and political development different in the period after independence in comparison to its neighbors—Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru
  • What were the effects of the War of the Pacific on Chile, Peru, and Bolivia?
  • Why did a militant trade union movement develop in Chile in the twentieth century?
  • Were populist movements elsewhere in similar to or different from the leftist traditions in Chile?
  • Why was Salvador Allende elected and then overthrown?
  • How did the Chilean economy change during the Pinochet years?  To what extent did Pinochet bring about his own demise?
  • Why have neoliberal economic policies implemented during the Pinochet regime continued in recent years?
  • In what ways have the recent student mobilizations by students been a challenge to neoliberal economic policies?