Trifter

Life in Chile has changed over the years; the country is involved now in keeping the peace in Haiti, which had been the object of internal violence when Baby Doc and his son were in power. Chile is close to being European I was told by a Hispanic friend whose grandfather was Spanish. There is a large link to Europe because of the historical past, the religion, the periods of immigration after major European conflicts, the architecture and more. Those immigrants mixed with the local population, I was told but it was sad to hear that only twenty per cent of the original population managed to survive all the wars especially those unleashed by the Spaniards during their South American conquests. I was told that much of Argentina’s native population was also eliminated through the Spanish conquests.

I looked at a recent picture publication on Santiago the capital and saw what looked like a European capital rich with glass-clad skyscrapers and there had a sense of how advanced the capital appeared. Older Spanish style classical plastered front buildings have survived but younger Chileans like the tall glass buildings, I was told. I was told that people living in the area around the capital are relatively well off compared to the lot of many other South and Central American capitals. I suppose much had to do with free trade that has brought new wealth to the country and the fact that today China is a large buyer of Chilean copper, its largest export.

But I was sorry to hear of the affairs that led up to Allende wanting to promise change at the expense of the well to do. This was not what we had heard in the western media when we were exposed to the bombing of his presidential palace in the early seventies. We were led to believe that Pinochet was the only villain and that Allende meant well for the entire population. Not so to true historical accounts that linking a fall of the Chilean economy because of inept governing due to Allende. This has meant a period of 19years of suffering for the Chilean population.

Have of the population lives in and around the capital. There are many that have access to the education system that way but there are a good percentage of the people who do not have access to higher learning because they live in the countryside. Still they are offered free medical help. The country is home to one of the most modern telescopes situated on a desert hill. Let us hope that the future of this country will be brighter and that it will continue to set an example for other South American nations to follow.