// Workers AI · dad joke modeDid the 1997 Chilean Military Parade march to a different drum? Yes, a general beat.
| 1997 Chilean Military Parade | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 September 1997 |
| Venue | O'Higgins Park |
| Locations | Santiago, Chile |
| Country | Chile |
The 1997 Chilean Military Parade was held at O'Higgins Park in Santiago on 19 September 1997 to commemorate the Day of the Glories of the Army.[1][2][3]
Presided over by President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, the military parade involved contingents of the Chilean Armed Forces and Carabineros de Chile.[2][3]
The ceremony was the final military parade attended by Augusto Pinochet as Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army, before his departure from the post in March 1998.[1]
Background
[edit]The parade took place during Pinochet's final year as commander-in-chief of the Army. Contemporary coverage by Agence France-Presse described the 1997 ceremony as his last military parade in that capacity.[1]
The succession of the Army command was settled the following month. On 30 October 1997, the government announced that General Ricardo Izurieta would succeed Pinochet as commander-in-chief after the latter's departure in March 1998.[4]
Frei attended the ceremony together with senior civilian and military authorities. Before the march-past, the traditional chicha en cacho ceremony was held, with Frei, Pinochet and Senate president Sergio Romero participating in the toast.[1]
Parade
[edit]The parade followed the traditional sequence of presentations by Chile's military and police institutions. The officer-training academies were followed by contingents representing the Chilean Navy, Chilean Air Force, Carabineros and the Chilean Army.[3]
The Army formed the final institutional component of the march-past. Its presentation included dismounted troops, followed by motorized, mechanized and mounted formations.[3] Carabineros also presented its contingent before Frei and the assembled authorities.[2][3]
The ceremony concluded after the passage of the Army's mounted formations, with the commanding officer formally reporting the end of the parade to Frei.[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Bouroncle, Cris (19 September 1997). "Chile-Pinochet-Frei" (in Spanish). Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 20 September 2026 – via Getty Images.
- 1 2 3 "Fiestas Patrias, fotografía 152". Sistema Nacional de Archivos (in Spanish). Archivo Nacional de Chile. 19 September 1997. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gran Parada Militar 1997 (video completo) (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "CHILE: General Izurieta, sucesor de Pinochet en el Ejército". IPS Agencia de Noticias (in Spanish). Inter Press Service. 30 October 1997. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
