Dictators and the Changing Face

Table of Contents

Chile--------------------------------------------------------1-3

Argentina-----------------------------------------------------------3-

Brazil------------------------------------------------------

Chile

The first person to claim dictatorial power in Chile was Bernardo O'Higgins. O'Higgins gained power of Chile in 1817. O'Higgins made quite a few changes in Chile, but there were a number of issues with the citizens that he caused. Although some might have been for the better, others caused a lot controversy. Chile at that time had two basic parties. The Liberals and the Conservatives. Mostly there was the issue of the Roman Catholic church limiting the number of their Saints' days. Regarding school, he was in favor of secular schools rather than Catholic schools. He allows Protestants and Catholics to be buried in the nation's cemeteries. Also he was in favor of importing foreign books to Chile.

However, the flaw that O'Higgins has was the payment of wages to the military. He failed to do so. In 1823, he was forced to resign and hand over his "power" to a new dictator because he was so unpopular. However, although it may be looked upon as nothing, O'Higgins brought something to Chile that was major. He brought them emancipation from Spain by taking over command of patriotic forces.

After the downfall of O'Higgins, there was Ramon Freire, who ruled from 1823 to 1826. Freire was involved with the liberation of Chile alongside O'Higgins. In fact, he was the one who helped to get a certain area independence that the Spanish still had and ruled. Freire overtook O'Higgins laws with the church adding more conflict of how the church should be organized. This, of course, brought on more controversy between the church and the government as there always has been and always will

1

be.

To jump a couple of years ahead the dictator that is mostly recognized for Chile's prosperity is Augusto Pinochet. Seceding Salvador Allende, Pinochet came into power in 1973 and stayed in power until 1990. After overthrowing Allende from his place as President of Chile, Pinochet took over and was known as the most brutal leader in Latin America. Anyone who opposed him as a leader was either executed, tortured or killed. Along with his military coup, Pinochet humiliate the citizens