The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

The transfer of power took place in March 1990. Some 4,000 guests attended an evening reception in the vast courtyard at La Moneda, includ- ing some who had been dragged from the building on Sept. 11, 1973. Nowadays, Pinochet, 87, suffers from mild dementia, arthritis and dia- betes. He has had several minor strokes since 1988. In 1999, the Chilean Supreme Court ruled that he was too infirm to stand trial to fight the scores of lawsuits filed against him both in Chile and in Europe for the human rights violations committed during his rule. Chile’s economy under Pinochet had a roller-coaster quality until the mid-1980s, then performed surpris- ingly well during his last few years. Inflation plummeted and key export earnings nearly doubled. The robust economic performance persisted well after Pinochet stepped down. In their book, A Nation of Enemies , Constable and Valenzuela say it was not clear until the two elec- tions of the late 1980s whether Chile’s democratic culture would survive the long years of often harsh and arbitrary dictatorship. “The peaceful outcome of both elections — and the triumph of civic maturity over threats, uncer- tainty and alarmist propaganda — suggested that two decades of fear and alienation had implanted lessons different from those that Chile’s mili- tary tutors wish to impart,” the authors said. They note that, “In some respects, Chilean society had evolved enor- mously since 1973; it was more world- ly, more skeptical of the state and more aggressive in pursuing ambi- tions. In other respects, though, the old democratic culture had reasserted itself. There was a new appreciation for the values of moderation and com- promise that once had been bitterly discarded — and a firm rejection of the utopian visions that had scarred a generation.” ■ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 73 SHORT TERM FURNISHED APARTMENTS AVAILABLE columbia plaza apartments Capital Living With Comfort and Convenience Beautiful, Spacious Efficiencies, 1 and 2 Bedrooms SEVEN MINUTES TO STATE DEPARTMENT Utilities Included Complimentary Voice Mail Courtyard Style Plaza Polished Hardwood Floors Private Balconies Huge Walk-In Closets 24 Hour Front Desk Garage Parking Available Shopping on Site Cardkey Entry/Access River Views Minutes to Fine Dining Walk to the Kennedy Center and Ge rgetown Minutes to Foggy Bottom Metro (202) 293-2000 2400 Virginia Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C., 20037 Managed by Polinger, Shannon & Luchs Co.