2002 Chilean Military Parade
| 2002 Chilean Military Parade | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 September 2002 |
| Venue | O'Higgins Park |
| Locations | Santiago, Chile |
| Country | Chile |
The 2002 Chilean Military Parade was held at O'Higgins Park in Santiago on 19 September 2002 to commemorate the «Day of the Glories of the Army».
Presided over by President Ricardo Lagos, the military parade involved personnel from the Chilean Armed Forces and Carabineros de Chile. The ceremony was characterized by a comparatively austere deployment and a significant female presence within the participating institutions.[1][2]
The parade was the first in Chilean history in which a female defence minister, Michelle Bachelet, accompanied the president in reviewing the troops. It was also the first presided over by General Juan Emilio Cheyre as commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army.[1][3]
Background
[edit]The 2002 edition was organized as a more austere ceremony than those of previous years. Heavy armoured equipment was excluded from the presentation, while the participation of women within the Armed Forces and Carabineros was expanded.[4]
Women represented approximately ten percent of the participating personnel. Particular attention surrounded Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet, who had been appointed to the position in January 2002 and became the first woman to head the Ministry of National Defence. Her participation in the ceremony marked the first time that a woman serving as defence minister reviewed the Armed Forces during the annual parade.[4][2]
The ceremony also included representatives of Chile's indigenous peoples. Contemporary accounts highlighted both their presence and the greater participation of female personnel as distinguishing features of the 2002 parade.[2][4]
Parade
[edit]Shortly before 15:00, President Ricardo Lagos and Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet entered the O'Higgins Park ellipse and reviewed formations representing the branches of the Armed Forces and Carabineros. Lagos then formally authorized the beginning of the parade.[1]
Among the authorities attending the ceremony were Senate president Andrés Zaldívar, president of the Chamber of Deputies Adriana Muñoz, government ministers, members of the Supreme Court, parliamentarians and the commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces.[1]
The march-past was commanded by General Carlos Molina Johnson. The Bernardo O'Higgins Military School opened the military presentation, followed by formations representing the other military and police institutions.[5]
The aerial component began with the Halcones aerobatic team, which produced a display in the colours of the Chilean flag during the passage of the Air Force Academy. They were followed by ENAER T-35 Pillán training aircraft.[5]
During the passage of the Chilean Air Force echelon, the aerial formation included Cessna Citation I aircraft, A-36 Halcón advanced trainers, Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports and UH-1H helicopters. The helicopter formation was led by a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. Unlike other editions, combat aircraft were not included in the aerial presentation.[5][4]
The Army presentation included personnel from its parachute units, who marched to Los viejos estandartes. The final portion of the ceremony included the mounted cavalry band and its traditional mounted kettledrummer.[5]
The parade ended at approximately 17:40 after around two hours and ten minutes. General Molina reported the completion of the ceremony to Lagos, who instructed him to congratulate the participating personnel.[5]
Aftermath
[edit]The participation of Michelle Bachelet attracted considerable attention during the ceremony. It was her first military parade since becoming defence minister and the first occasion on which a woman holding that office reviewed the troops alongside the president.[2][3]
The 2002 ceremony was also the first military parade for Juan Emilio Cheyre as commander-in-chief of the Army. Cheyre had assumed command earlier that year, succeeding General Ricardo Izurieta.[1]
Contemporary television records preserved by the Archivo Presidente Ricardo Lagos described the parade as shorter and more austere than previous editions, highlighting its female participation and the presence of indigenous representatives.[4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Comenzó la Parada Militar". Emol (in Spanish). ORBE, UPI. 19 September 2002. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Con la ministra Bachelet al frente, las mujeres destacaron en Parada Militar". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 19 September 2002. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 "¿Por qué se hace la Parada Militar en Chile? Datos y curiosidades" (in Spanish). Government of Chile. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Mandatario encabeza la Parada Militar" (in Spanish). Archivo Presidente Ricardo Lagos, Universidad Diego Portales. 19 September 2002. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Finalizó Parada Militar". Emol (in Spanish). ORBE, UPI. 19 September 2002. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
