Before, beyond and after the miners – Chile’s last year in perspective

In less than a year, Chile has experienced some of its most important historical milestones (at least for my generation); just a month ago, we have commemorated two centuries of independent republican life. In January we elected, after 20 years of democratic centre-left coalition government (Concertación), the first centre-right government after Pinochet, in a contested but exemplary demonstration of democracy. In February, one of the most populated areas of the country was hit by the seventh strongest earthquake ever measured (five hundred times more forceful than the 7.0 Mw earthquake in Haiti). In August we were alerted about the awful accident of 33 miners, tragically buried alive in the Atacama Desert, under almost 700m of solid rock.

As a consequence, Chile, a distant and population wise small country, has been in the centre of a news storm captivating for days the eyes of the world in one way or another. The real oddity is that originally tragic and sad news has evolved to be transformed into good news, and the world has been able to watch live on television how human strength and ingenuity can bring hope after the disaster. Considering the earthquake magnitude, duration and aftershocks, the country resisted well and with a comparatively reduced amount of fatalities, and thanks to a relatively good financial situation there were funds to start the reconstruction. After the first 17 days, when most people though that the miners were dead, they were found alive, and two months after that rescued in a successful and emotional operation that united the country. The new government has proved to go beyond past associations with the dictatorship, leaving behind, and hopefully forever, a period of our history marked by divisions and polarization.

I have observed all this while being in the UK, looking through a window on my country 11.650 km away, a country that before these episodes was mostly associated with Pinochet, and I wish from now onwards becomes a synonym for hope and strength, and a demonstration of a diverse, lively and emergent Latin America.

Pedro Parraguez Ruiz
Chilean Chevening Scholar 2009-2010