Biographical Insights into Chile’s Post-Dictatorship Economic Continuity

In 1990, a new democratic government assumed power in Chile after Pinochet's nearly 17-year dictatorship. This government maintained the dictatorship’s international commercial policy of unilaterally opening and deregulating markets and expanded it by promoting regional economic integration. Why did politicians who had previously supported Marxist or state-centered economic policies during Allende’s government (1970-1973) — and who had faced brutal repression and exile under Pinochet's dictatorship (1973-1990) — preserve an economic model central to the dictatorship's vision once democratically elected in 1990? We analyze this decision-making process from a biographical and historical perspective, exploring the contextual and structural factors that shaped their choices during the transition to democracy. We argue that to critique present-day Chile and the policies adopted during this period, it is crucial to examine the personal biographies of these political actors and the political and economic frameworks that led them to further deepen international economic integration.