On Friday, Chile commemorated the 53rd anniversary of the 1973 civil-military coup d’état with a full day of remembrance and tributes to the victims of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. From early in the morning, social organizations paid tribute to former President Salvador Allende through floral offerings at the General Cemetery and Constitution Square.

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A march from Alameda Avenue to Morandé 80 was the focal point of events in the capital. This location is historically significant, as it was the route used to remove Allende’s body following the bombing of the La Moneda presidential palace.

Attendees faced various restrictions. “It was very difficult for us to get through; the way isn’t clear like in other years, because of the fascist government,” a protester remarked regarding the traffic obstacles.

Nationwide, the National Network of Sites of Memory and human rights collectives coordinated gatherings at San Marcos Cathedral in Arica, marches at Colón Plaza in Antofagasta, candlelight vigils in Coquimbo, and a march to the Tejas Verdes Regiment in Valparaíso.

This anniversary takes place against a political backdrop marked by the return to government of sectors aligned with Pinochetism and their plans to grant pardons to former repressive agents.

In response, the Association of Relatives of the Detained-Disappeared protested at the Ministry of Justice, demanding “no pardons.”

Finally, former torture centers—reclaimed by survivors—are establishing themselves as spaces of resistance to honor the more than 40,000 victims of execution, torture, and exile, reaffirming the commitment to ensure these violations never happen again.

Despite the absence of state-led protocols, historical memory remained alive through the mobilization of the Chilean people. More than a hundred people, including social leaders, gathered this Friday at Salvador Allende’s grave to pay their respects.

Durante el acto, Isabel Allende destacó:
«Rechazamos el negacionismo, rechazamos indultar a los peores criminales del país. Ese golpe civil y militar es un crimen y no tiene ninguna justificación, nada nunca podrá justificar el asesinato, la tortura, la desaparición, el exilio». https://t.co/doIOxiOoFn pic.twitter.com/4dzyU9MWDB

— Fund. Salvador Allende (@FSAllende) September 11, 2026

The first text reads: “During the event, Isabel Allende emphasized:
‘We reject denialism; we reject pardoning the country’s worst criminals. That civil-military coup is a crime and has no justification; nothing can ever justify murder, torture, disappearance, or exile.”

The second text reads: “On the 53rd anniversary of the coup d’état and the death of President Salvador Allende, we commemorate alongside authorities, organizations, family members, and representatives of civil society at the Mausoleum of the Allende Bussi Family.”

Allende’s democratic legacy: participation and people’s power

During the Unidad Popular (Popular Unity) period (1970–1973), Salvador Allende drove a transformation of the political system, shifting toward a participatory model in which the majority played a leading role. Allende proposed that workers and young people should take an active part in building the State and the economy.

This political vision shaped the generations of the 1970s through fundamental pillars such as the “Chilean Way to Socialism,” demonstrating that structural changes—such as the nationalization of copper and agrarian reform—could be achieved within the framework of electoral democracy.

Furthermore, the president promoted a shift from the citizen as a spectator to the citizen as a protagonist, encouraging residents, rural workers, and young people to move from being mere recipients of welfare assistance to becoming the architects of their own destiny through debate and collective decision-making.

Politics extended into everyday life, allowing young people to occupy universities, factories, and public spaces, while using art, education, and literacy programs as tools for mass emancipation and service to the country.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | The people of Chile commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the 1973 coup d’état against Salvador Allende and the establishment of the dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet. pic.twitter.com/PVBinr3b7R

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 9, 2026

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