Overview of Land and History 31from the highest per capita foreign debt in the world. The
populace protested and a great many demonstrations were
held in Santiago and other cities, in spite of harsh government
reprisals. Although political parties were illegal, de facto
opposition parties still existed and were the force behind
the one-day strikes. The protests, however, did not achieve
the ultimate goal of ousting the government.
Politics and the Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church played a key role in the defense
of human rights in the wake of the 1973 military coup.
Although the church initially welcomed the coup and gave
validity to the military junta by officiating at ceremonies,
it eventually created a degree of opposition. The Vicariate
of Solidarity, presided over by the Archdiocese of Santiago,
provided legal defense for prisoners and offered protection
for a number of non-governmental organisations. By doing so
the church gained credibility as a modern social force. After
the restoration of democracy,
the church closed the Vicariate
and, under orders from Rome,
became more apolitical. But
in reward for their support of
democracy, church leaders
made it clear that they counted
upon the new government to
back their conservative agenda,
which included among other
things opposition to divorce
and abortion.
The ‘NO’ Campaign
A plebiscite held in 1980 ratified a new constitution that
secured Pinochet’s presidency until 1990. By the mid-1980s
it became apparent that Pinochet wanted to extend his
term in office within a constitutional framework. Another
plebiscite was called in October 1988 that would determine
whether he would continue as president of Chile until 1998. A
massive ‘No’ campaign was undertaken that would ultimately
One example of the church’s
strong influence on government
was the banning of the movie The
Last Temptation of Christ. This
decision was legally challenged,
and, in a divided but final
decision, the courts upheld the
ban, arguing that the movie
offended the Catholic Church.
However, the case was later taken
before the Interamerican Court
of Human Rights. In 2001 the
court decided against the Chilean
government and the ban on the
movie had to be reversed.