From authoritarian regimes to

democracies in South America

Focus: Chile and Brazil
Contents
Introduction

I. Historical perspective, two case studies

A. Chile slipping from Pinochet’s iron grip (1981-1990s)

B. Brazil emerging from a military regime (1964-1985)

II. Current situations

A. The struggle for a new constitution in Chile (2019-2022)

B. Brazil today, a failing democracy ?

III. Works related to the subject

IV. Press Review

V. Debate questions
Introduction
● From the Latin transire, transition is the act of linking one line of reasoning to another, of putting
ideas together to express them, of moving from one part of a speech or work to another, of linking
them together.

● A democratic transition is a political process that allows a gradual transition from a dictatorial
regime to a democracy.
● The political transition phase, which is the transition from one regime to another, ends with a
freely elected government and legislature with sovereign power.
● Factors that can facilitate a democratic transition and ensure its success include:
- the level of development of the country
- the experience of a democratic regime prior to the dictatorship.
Case study 1: Chile – Context

● Colonised by Spain in the 16th century

● Breaks away in the early 19th century ⇒ government is
more of an oligarchy than a democracy at 1st
● Slightly unstable but mostly democratic government for
⅔ of the 20th century

Colonial 19th & early 20th centuries:

era oligarchy → democracy
1810

Chile breaks away

from Spanish rule
Case study 1: Chile – Fall of Democracy (1973)
● Marxist president Salvador Allende is overthrown by a
military coup, supported by the CIA
● General Augusto Pinochet head of authoritarian regime
from 1973 to 1989
Salvador Allende Gen. Augusto Pinochet

11/09: Pinochet seizes power

through a military coup

Colonial oligarchy
197 Pinochet’s
era → democracy 3 authoritarian regime
1810 197
0
Chile breaks away Salvador Allende
from Spanish rule comes to power
Case study 1: Chile – End of the Pinochet era (1980-
1988)
● “plebiscite” for Pinochet’s Constitution : rigged but marks shift from
military to civilian government (P. is now a president)
● Pinochet gradually softens his grip - eg by legalising political parties
● 1988: Pinochet is not reelected Plebiscite = the direct vote of all the
members of an electorate on an
important public question such as a
change in the constitution (Oxford
End of P’s Pinochet is replaced Dictionary of English)
11/09: Pinochet seizes power P. legalises
through a military coup political parties official term by Patricio Aylwin

1973 Pinochet’s 198 198 1990

authoritarian regime 7 8
1970 1980

Salvador Allende Transition to civilian government +

comes to power Pinochet’s Constitution
Case study 1: Chile – Beginnings of a new democratic
regime
A relatively successful transition:
● Multi-party system
● Succession of democratically elected presidents
● Freedom of expression, belief, association Patricio Aylwin,
1st democratically elected
● Seperation of the executive, legislative and judiciary president of Chile since Allende

Corruption
Pinochet is replaced by scandals and
11/09: Pinochet P. legalises
seizes power political parties Patricio Aylwin ‘gag law’

1973 Pinochet’s 1987 1990 2016

authoritarian regime Transition to
democracy
1980 1991
Transition to civilian
government + Pinochet’s
National Commission for
Constitution Truth and Reconciliation
Case study 2: Brazil - Golpe de 64

João Goulart, 24th president of

Brazil “Golpe de 64”

Ratification of a new Pardon of those

Joao Goulart restrictive Dissolution of the
involved "political or
becomes President constitution two party system
related" crimes

1961 1967 1979

1964 1974 1981 1988

Military Coup Start of the Re-establishment of New Constitution,

supported by CIA “abertura” process direct elections of which officializes
of Brazil state governors Brazil’s return to
democracy
Case study: Brazil - The military regime

ARENA 1966-1979 also the

official party of the regime

Ernesto Geisel, 29th president of Brazil (left) and João

Figueiredo, 30th president of Brazil (right)
MDB 1965-1979, the other
party of the two-party system,
the opposition
Case study 2: Brazil - A return to democracy

Tancredo Neves (leader of

PMDB), elected president of Brazil
in 1985 by an electoral college of
685 members

Demonstration in Brazilia
demanding the restoration of
basic civil rights
Chile: the situation today
2019 protests - a threat to democracy ? “Democracy not only has the right but the duty to defend
⇒ Demanding increase in wages, reforms in itself using all instruments … and the rule of law to fight
education, pensions and healthcare those who would destroy it.”
& replacement of Pinochet’s constitution – Sebastian Piñera,
⇒ Rapidly turned violent → state of (justifying police brutality)
emergency restricting civil liberties

Pinochet is replaced state of Writing a new

by Patricio Aylwin emergency constitution

1990
Stabilisation of a
2019 - 2020 2021-2022
Transition to democratic system
democracy
2016

Corruption Oct 25th, 2020

scandals and Referendum about
‘gag law’ the Constitution
Brazil today, a failing democracy ?

A “flawed democracy” according to

the Economist Intelligence Unit

Jair Bolsonaro
Brazil’s next Jair Bolsonaro, 38th
New sworn in as
Constitution President
elections President of Brazil

1988 January 1st 2019 2022

2018 2020

Brazil’s elections Covid 19 outbreak

530 000 deaths
Works related to the subject

“Bestia” by Hugo Covarrubias

A stop motion animated short film which

delves into the life of a secret police
agent under Pinochet’s regime,
revealing both her fractures and those
of the nation in a chilling pathetic fallacy

“The day that lasted 21 years offers The September 1973 military coup in
a gripping insight into political Chile is seen through the eyes of a
machinations. A fascinating delve sensitive 11-year-old boy from a rich
into American governmental and family and his friend from the slum.
CIA plans.”
Press Review

https://theconversation.com/how-jair-bolsonaro-used-fake-ne https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-supreme-court-
ws-to-win-power-109343 orders-suspension-telegram-app-country-reports-2022-03-18/
Press Review

"Bolsonaro wants the armed forces to commemorate the

dictatorship."
What part of democracy does he not understand?
None. Neither the front nor the back. Neither the top nor the
bottom.
Debate questions

★ “Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have
been tried.” To what extent do you agree with Winston Churchill’s statement ?

★ What do you think of US involvement in destabilising and replacing

governments in South-American countries in the second half of the XXth century
?