Chile: Show of Force

Pinochet quashes a protest

Not in almost a decade had residents of Santiago seen anything like the show of government firepower mounted throughout their city last week. At dawn, long lines of green-and-brown troop-transport trucks began rolling along the Chilean capital's suburban avenues. Soldiers took up positions at traffic circles, machine guns at the ready. Armored cars growled to a halt at the edge of the slum areas in the southern part of the city. Along the dusty streets that honeycomb the shantytowns, rifle-toting soldiers were stationed every 100 yards. Meanwhile, helicopters clattered noisily overhead.

Thus did the regime of Augusto...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!