Chile:
Extending 2,697 miles from south to north in a narrow ribbon along the Pacific Ocean, Chile has many different climactic zones. The north includes the Atacama desert; the central regions, where the famous grapes grow and wines are produced, features a drier, Mediterranean climate; and the wild south is wet, stormy and cold in winter.
Chile is extremely mountainous, and one of its most famous attractions is the Torres Del Paines range in the far south. Hikers, climbers and other outdoor adventure enthusiasts will find Chile to be a paradise. (Of course, where there are forests, there are environmental conflicts with logging companies that want to come in and chop down the forests.) The many islands and fjords of the south coast can be explored by boat, as well.
Chile is well set up for tourists, but costs are higher than in other South American countries. Chile is quickly becoming an economic success, way ahead of its poor neighbours to the north. Santiago has a really bad air pollution problem, so head for the hills and breathe in that fresh mountain air.-+
In January, 2000, the Chilean people, or at least 51.32 per cent of those who chose to vote, elected a new president: Ricardo Lagos, an avowed socialist who has pledged to defend human rights. He is the first left-wing president since Salvador Allende, who was deposed in a coup in 1973. (See the movie Missing for details about this.)
Former dictator Augusto Pinochet has avoided--because of his advanced age and bad health--having to stand trial in Spain for crimes against his own people. He is widely believed to be responsible for the torture and murder of political dissidents that went on in his country in the 1970s. Amazingly, there are pro-Pinochet factions as well as anti. Margaret Thatcher, for instance, points out that Pinochet helped the British during the Falkland Islands war against Argentina. Bizarrely, and disturbingly, when Pinochet returned home in early March, 2000, crowds of ecstatic Chileans partied and celebrated in the streets. Imagine how you would feel seeing those crowds if a member of your family was one of the people who disappeared under Pinochet's regime. Or, if you had been tortured yourself, and you saw all those people happy to see Pinochet home.....The day after Pinochet's triumphant return home, there was a huge protest demonstration against him. Photos appearing in the North American press showed police beating some of the demonstrators.
This page last updated November 12, 2000.