Chilean transition to democracy

Chile's negotiated shift from Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship to elected civilian government, initiated by the 1988 plebiscite and completed with Patricio Aylwin's inauguration in 1990.

1988 Chilean national plebiscite: A national vote in which Chileans rejected extending Augusto Pinochet's presidency for another eight years. Its 54.7 percent No victory activated the constitutional process leading to elections.
Augusto Pinochet: A Chilean army general who led the military dictatorship from 1973 until 1990 and remained commander in chief afterward. His decision to submit his continuation in office to a vote set the transition in motion.
Chilean Concertación governments: The center-left administrations that governed Chile from 1990 to 2010 under the Concertación coalition. They governed the democracy established by the transition while negotiating its inherited constraints.
Argentine transition to democracy: Argentina's return to civilian government after the military junta's collapse following defeat in the Falklands War. Argentina's junta fell after military defeat, unlike Chile's negotiated constitutional timetable.
Concertación: A coalition of Chilean center-left parties formed to campaign against Pinochet and govern after the dictatorship. Its unified No campaign helped turn opposition votes into a governing coalition.
1973 Chilean coup d'état: The military overthrow of President Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973, followed by a seventeen-year dictatorship. The transition ended the military regime established by the coup.
Chilean Senate-appointed members: Senators who entered Chile's Senate through appointment rather than election under the 1980 Constitution's original rules. Their presence limited the elected majority's power during the early transition.
Uruguayan transition to democracy: Uruguay's negotiated return to civilian rule, completed with the 1984 election and 1985 transfer of power. Uruguay also negotiated its exit from military rule, but through a different sequence of plebiscites and elections.
1989 Chilean constitutional referendum: A national referendum approving constitutional amendments negotiated by the military government and opposition. The amendments adjusted the rules under which the incoming civilian government would operate.
Chilean opposition: The parties, organizations, and activists that opposed military rule in Chile. Years of organizing enabled a coordinated campaign when the plebiscite opened a political opportunity.

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