March in memory of victims of Pinochet’s dictatorship ends in clashes

O President of Chile, Gabriel Boric (left), was present at the initiative, according to reports from international agencies.

For a few moments, Gabriel Boric joined the procession that brought together around 5,000 people, according to government sources, becoming the first Chilean leader to do so since the end of the dictatorship in 1990.

Some protesters threw stones at the presidential palace, destroyed security barriers placed on public roads and damaged access to a cultural center located in the building, according to France-Presse (AFP).

There were also clashes with the police in other areas of the city along the march route, with some protesters throwing ‘Molotov cocktails’ and erecting, but also setting fire to, barriers.

Inside the cemetery, which houses a memorial to the victims of the Pinochet regime, some mausoleums were damaged, including that of a right-wing senator.

“As President of the Republic, I categorically condemn these events […]. The irrationality of attacking what Allende and so many other democrats fought for is despicable”, reacted Boric on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

Three police officers were injured and three people were arrested following these incidents, according to government sources.

On September 11, 1973, General Augusto Pinochet seized power by overthrowing President Salvador Allende. The coup d’état would mark the beginning of a bloody dictatorship, officially responsible for 3,200 murders and disappearances.

Today in Santiago de Chile, the majority of protesters, displaying Chilean flags and chanting slogans such as “Truth and justice now” and “Allende is alive”, marched peacefully.

“With this march, we remember that 1973 shook democracy in Chile and that we continue to fight to maintain and strengthen it”, explained Luis Pontigo, 72 years old, a retired teacher who took part in the parade.

This morning, Boric inaugurated an exhibition dedicated to the memory of Salvador Allende at the La Moneda presidential palace, in the presence of members of the late socialist leader’s family.

Several heads of State and Government, including the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, are in Chile to participate in the 50th anniversary ceremonies.

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