Gabriel Boric confronts a difficult personal setback, choosing to swallow the bitter reminder of past errors. An effort to move beyond authoritarian impulses by gathering the signatures of all Chilean political parties is fading from view as Chile marks fifty years since a pivotal coup against Salvador Allende.
“I will not tire of saying this is good for Chile, and I hope all parties will participate willingly”, Boric asserts, acknowledging that there are varied memories and interpretations of history, which is perfectly legitimate. While opinions diverge on the People’s Unity era and no one can force a single narrative, he points to the documented historical truths reported by commissions of both nations. These findings include acts of murder, enforced disappearances, political imprisonment, and torture. The aim, he says, is to look forward by considering how to honor nature, strengthen democracy, and dedicate efforts to the unconditional respect for human rights. People who held different views should never be silenced or intimidated again in Chile. That is the guiding premise as engagements continue.
Yet the main political forces on the right—led by figures such as Jose Antonio Kast, the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), National Renewal (RN), and allied groups—remained hesitant to join the invitation. The reluctance, Boric suggests, stems from a hostile climate. Former president Michelle Bachelet has warned that history is split into two halves, and she stresses the need to approach the commemoration from a state-oriented, forward-looking perspective that acknowledges the past without letting it define the future.
Government initiatives
Signs of strain appear as officials in Congress, aligned with the opposition to the left government, skip the meeting with relatives of the detained and missing. This absence underscores a visible rift with the Palacio de La Moneda. The administration is proposing several measures to Parliament, including recognizing a category for people who disappeared non-violently and granting partial relief from the long-standing 50-year secrecy around testimony collected by the Valech Commission, named after Bishop Sergio Valech who led it at the turn of the century. These proposals align with a National Search Plan for those missing since the military dictatorship from 1973 to 1990 and reflect a broader push to cement memory and legacy through policy.
The government also emphasizes a deep commitment to memory as a public priority, aiming to align policy changes with how history is taught and remembered in Chile. This approach seeks to balance remembrance with the principles of democratic engagement and human rights, framing memory as a tool for education and reconciliation rather than division.
Political polarization
Observers note the country remains more polarized than in the early transition years, with a segment of the public born after the conflict still deeply engaged in debates about its meaning. Analysts warn that the division runs deeper than political disagreements and touches on national identity and the interpretation of past traumas. A prominent voice from the political right suggests that the nation is facing more entrenched positions, which complicates efforts to reach consensus on how to memorialize difficult chapters of history.
Opposition lawmakers articulate a range of concerns, from the symbolism of commemorating events tied to a controversial era to the risk that associating with certain parties could be seen as endorsing controversial actions. Some leaders, including members of the UDI, insist they cannot sign statements that equate democratic principles with policies framed by governments viewed as sympathetic to factions seen as violent. They argue that any joint declaration must reflect a broad, inclusive approach to democracy and human rights, without alienating constituencies that hold divergent memories of the period.
Within the right, there is concern about appearing too soft, a fear that could embolden more extreme factions that view the 1973 coup as a legitimate, even necessary, act. The debate extends to the process of revising the constitution, where a core text is slated for approval by a popular referendum in December. While some groups prefer to distance themselves from the main reform agenda, others call for a careful, principled stance that preserves national stability while resisting coercive changes in memory and policy. The aim for many is to guide the country toward a stable course in 2026 and beyond, with clear boundaries between remembrance and political maneuvering.
Amid these tensions, former Army Commander Ricardo Martínez, who led the institution from 2018 to 2022, emphasizes accountability for the actions that occurred, asserting that responsibility ultimately rests with the leaders who held command during the period. He notes the need for a sober, historically grounded reckoning that recognizes the complexities of the era while reinforcing the values of a modern, democratic Chile.