Continuity in change: leftwing coalitions in Uruguay and Chile

Coalitions have been critical for the reemergence of democracy and stability in Uruguay and Chile. Where do they come from? Why are they successful? To explore the role of history and ideologies in the formation and successes of two leftwing coalitions, Uruguay'sFrenteAmplio(Broad Front) (FA) and Chile's Concertacion por la Demcracia (Concertacion), the author traveled to South America. In Montevideo and Santiago, she spoke with professors and politicians, government officials and former Presidents. This essay will introduce the Uruguayan and Chilean political party systems, discuss how they have dealt with crimes committed by the dictatorships (1973-1990), and highlight the significance of the two coalitions. It will use the term 'left' to designate parties which favor egalitarianism and statism, and claim to speak for the people, especially the underprivileged; the term 'right' for those which favor liberty, individual initiative, equality of opportunity, and limited government. Keywords Coalitions * Left * Right * Caudillismo * Batllismo * Herrerismo * Populism * Cold War * Operation Condor * Transition * Amnesty * Runoffs * Frente Amplio * Concertacion por la Democracia * Gender Quotas
All's flux? Yet continuities! Ring by ring Through generations, through all too-human wrong, Continuities are the human way of flowering. They're linking the cycles; they're consecrating The beads of pair [...]