1990 Chilean Military Parade
| 1990 Chilean Military Parade | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 September 1990 |
| Venue | O'Higgins Park |
| Location | Santiago, Chile |
| Country | Chile |
The 1990 Chilean Military Parade was held at O'Higgins Park in Santiago, Chile, on 19 September 1990, as part of the annual celebration of the «Day of the Glories of the Army».[1]
It was the first Chilean military parade held following the return to democratic government and the first presided over by President Patricio Aylwin, who had taken office in March 1990 following the end of the military regime headed by Augusto Pinochet.[2][3]
The parade became particularly associated with an incident involving Brigadier General Carlos Parera,[4] commander of the Santiago military garrison. Contrary to the customary protocol, Parera saluted Aylwin but did not request the president's authorization to begin the parade.[5][6][7] The incident occurred amid strained civil–military relations during the early months of Chile's transition to democracy and was subsequently recalled in accounts of Aylwin's relations with the armed forces.[3][8]
Background
[edit]Aylwin assumed the presidency on 11 March 1990, becoming the first democratically elected president to take office following 17 years of military rule. Pinochet, who had headed the military regime, remained commander-in-chief of the Army after leaving the presidency.
The institutional arrangement contributed to tensions between the new civilian government and sectors of the armed forces during the early transition.[8] The 1990 event was Aylwin's first parade as president and the first to take place after the restoration of democratic government.[9]
According to a later account published by La Tercera, tensions were already evident before the main ceremony. Defence Minister Patricio Rojas had been booed during a preparatory parade on 15 September, while the government was concerned about the distribution of seats for the main event.[3]
Parade
[edit]On 19 September, Aylwin arrived at O'Higgins Park in the traditional horse-drawn carriage accompanied by Minister Rojas. The government later described Aylwin's use of the traditional ceremonial elements as an attempt to restore the republican customs associated with the event.[2]
The ceremony took place during heavy rain. Weather conditions prevented the aerial echelon from participating in the parade.[2]
Contemporary photographs preserved by the National Archives of Chile show Aylwin observing the parade alongside senior Army officers and participating in the traditional drinking of chicha from a horn.[10]
Parera incident
[edit]At the beginning of the parade, Brigadier General Carlos Parera, who commanded the Santiago garrison and was responsible for the participating troops, approached the presidential stand. Under the established ceremonial procedure, the officer commanding the parade was expected to request authorization from the president of the republic before beginning the march-past.[3]
Parera instead left his vehicle, faced the presidential stand and rendered a military salute to Aylwin without verbally requesting authorization. He then returned to his vehicle and the parade began.[2][9]
The incident attracted attention because it occurred during the first military parade of the democratic transition. CNN Chile later included it among the notable confrontations between Aylwin and the military during his presidency, while retrospective accounts of the parade have continued to highlight the episode.[8][3]
Aftermath
[edit]The incident subsequently became connected to a dispute over Parera's military career. In October 1990, Pinochet presented proposed changes to the Army high command that included Parera's promotion from brigadier general to major general. Aylwin opposed the promotion.[3]
A historical study of civil–military relations during the period states that Aylwin vetoed the promotions of Parera and another brigadier general and identifies Parera's conduct during the September parade as the reason for the presidential objection to his promotion.[11] La Tercera reported that Parera was subsequently appointed military attaché in South Africa in 1991 and retired from the Army the following year.[3]
The episode continued to be cited in later accounts of the Chilean transition as an example of the tensions between the civilian government and the armed forces during the early Aylwin administration.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ Gran Parada Militar 1990 (video completo) (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 3 4 "¿Por qué se hace la Parada Militar en Chile? Datos y curiosidades". Gobierno de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Historias de la Parada Militar: su origen, la primera "chicha en cacho" y el desaire al Presidente al inicio de la transición". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "VIDEO. El feo desaire que vivió Aylwin durante su primera Parada Militar como presidente". The Clinic (in Spanish). 19 April 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "19/9/1990: El día que un general del Ejército pasó a llevar la autoridad de Aylwin en la Parada Militar". El Desconcierto (in Spanish). 19 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ Ramírez, Diego (10 July 2025). ""Yo no lo decidí": luego de 35 años, general da su versión sobre desaire que le hizo a Patricio Aylwin en la Parada Militar". La Cuarta (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "La reaparición de Carlos Parera, el general que desairó a Aylwin" (PDF). Litoralpress (in Spanish). 29 June 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Los roces que tuvo Aylwin con los militares". CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 Mardones, Carolina (19 April 2016). "El desaire que sufrió Patricio Aylwin en la primera Parada Militar tras dictadura". BioBioChile (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "Presidentes" (in Spanish). Archivo Nacional de Chile. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "Las relaciones cívico-militares durante el gobierno de Patricio Aylwin" (PDF) (in Spanish). Universidad Alberto Hurtado. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
