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CHRONOLOGY - 1980
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MARCH 7, 1980
International Women's Day marches result
in 118 arrests. Five of the detainees are sent to internal exile on
March 23.
MARCH 21, 1980
The leader of the Philippines,
Ferdinand Marcos, cancels Pinochet's official visit to his country
after the Chilean entourage is already en route, forcing Pinochet to
abruptly return to Chile. The failed trip results in the dismissal of
Foreign Affairs Minister Hernán Cubillos. Marcos claimed the tour had been
canceled for security reasons, but the Associated Press quotes a Manila
source as saying that Marcos was uncomfortable with the visit even before
it began.
MAY 1, 1980
Trade unions march to commemorate Labor
Day. The event is considered by organizers to be a success, gathering
almost 3,000 marchers.
JUNE 9, 1980
The Laja and San Rosendo case is
closed by the Military Court of Concepción, applying the 1978 amnesty
law. The 15 Carabineros charged with the 1973 murder and secret burial of
19 people in the two southern towns, walk away free.
JULY 15, 1980
The head of the Army Intelligence
School, Colonel Roger Vergara, is shot dead as he travels to work in
his car. The MIR later claims responsibility for the murder. The
assassination sparks off a change of leadership in the CNI, and Odlanier
Mena is replaced by Humberto Gordon as director of the regime's
intelligence service.
JULY 23, 1980
Fourteen people are kidnapped in
"response" to the murder of Colonel Vergara. The so-called Revenge of the
Martyrs Command, Covema, a paramilitary organization supporting the
regime, interrogates and tortures its victims for several days, after
which they are all set free. However, journalism student and MIR member,
Eduardo Jara Aravena, dies hours after his release from the effects of
prolonged torture. Three weeks later, on August 11, the regime announces
that Investigations personnel are responsible for the Covema kidnappings.
Around that same time, Investigations police Director Gen. Ernesto Baeza,
resigns. Eduardo Jara's murderers go unpunished.
AUGUST 12, 1980
The regime announces a plebiscite for
September 11 to approve a new constitution drafted by Pinochet's
collaborators. The constitution proposes that Pinochet's mandate be
prolonged for another eight years followed by presidential elections, to
be carried out according to the procedure set out in the constitution. The
announcement puts an end to a period of power struggles within the regime,
consolidates the person of Pinochet as the head of "government" and opens
the way to the institutionalization of the dictatorship. The regime's
opponents call on the population to vote against the constitution.
AUGUST 27, 1980
Former president Eduardo Frei Montalva
leads the movement to reject the new constitution proposal with an
event held at Santiago's Teatro Caupolicán. So many people attend the
event that hundreds are forced to remain outside the theater, listening to
the speeches on loudspeaker.
SEPTEMBER 11, 1980
The constitutional plebiscite
results in 67 percent in favor and 30 percent against the new
constitution. This result gives legitimacy to the regime and its plans
for a future transition to democracy. According to the new constitution,
Pinochet begins a new eight-year term of "presidency." The constitution
also controls any future civilian governments until well past the year
2000 by granting Pinochet and the political right disproportionate
representation in Congress once the governments of the "protected
democracy" are elected. The election is held without voter registration
lists or political parties and thus, no party-appointed poll watchers. It
is also held in a climate of fear and intimidation which annuls any
attempt at creating debate around the issue. Furthermore, there are no
guarantees to safeguard the fairness of the plebiscite, giving way to
widespread fraud.
OCTOBER, 20, 1980
Andres Zaldivar, president of the
Christian Democratic Party, is expelled from Chile for claiming, while
in Mexico, that the new constitution is illegal.
DECEMBER, 20, 1980
Five Chilean bishops excommunicate
torturers, as well as all those who ordered torture and those who
could have prevented it but did not.
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