From Dictatorship to Democracy: Rebuilding Political Consensus in Chile (Woodrow Wilson Center Current Studies on Latin America)

Representing one of the first efforts to evaluate the transition to democracy in Chile, this book is the fruit of a meeting of key participants in the extraordinary effort at political convergence that made possible the victory over Pinochet in the Chilean plebiscite and the subsequent election of Patricio Alwyn to the presidency. The authors show how the various segments of Chilean politics modified their traditional positions in all areas in order to work together to defeat authoritarian politics. They also indicate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Chile's civilian government. One focus of the book is the challenge of re-establishing a stable relationship with the United States, which, it is argued, will be the key element in the reinsertion of a democratic Chile into the community of nations. The perceptive commentary chapters explore the most likely consequences of the policy options proposed by the authors.