2004 Chilean Military Parade
 | This article may be a rough translation from Spanish. It may have been generated, in whole or in part, by a computer or by a translator without dual proficiency. (September 2026) |
| 2004 Chilean Military Parade | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 September 2004 |
| Venue | O'Higgins Park |
| Locations | Santiago, Chile |
| Country | Chile |
| Participants | 9,617 military and police personnel |
The 2004 Chilean Military Parade was held at O'Higgins Park in Santiago on 19 September 2004 to celebrate the Day of the Glories of the Army. President Ricardo Lagos presided over the parade, which involved approximately 10,000 personnel from the Chilean Armed Forces and Carabineros de Chile.[1][2]
Among those taking part were more than 300 members of Batallón Chile No. 1, who had returned from peacekeeping duties in Haiti. The 2004 parade also featured increased participation by women in the armed forces and ceremonies involving representatives of Chile's indigenous peoples.[2][3]
Background
[edit]The final rehearsal was held at O'Higgins Park on 16 September and was overseen by Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet. A total of 9,617 personnel took part, including 1,997 from the military academies and 7,592 from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Carabineros.[4]
Women served in several of the formations. The Army contingent included an 81-member company of female conscripts from the Military School, Military Police Battalion and Buin Regiment, while Carabineros fielded an 80-member company from its Police Training School.[4]
The Chilean Navy contributed 1,609 personnel from the Arturo Prat Naval Academy and the Naval Polytechnic Academy. Its contingent included 60 female recruits specializing in health and dental services. It was the second consecutive year in which female naval recruits took part in the parade.[5]
Parade
[edit]President Lagos arrived at O'Higgins Park shortly before 15:00. Members of the Club de Huasos Gil Letelier performed the traditional esquinazo and presented him with chicha en cacho. This was followed by a ceremony involving representatives of Chile's indigenous peoples. A Mapuche delegation led by lonko Francisco Pailepán performed a traditional ceremony, while Quechua and Aymara representatives also took part.[2][1]
The parade was commanded by Brigadier General Patricio Cartoni Viale, head of the Army Infrastructure Command, who requested permission from Lagos to begin the march-past. Cartoni replaced Santiago garrison commander General Enrique Slater, who had been injured in a horse-riding accident earlier that week.[2]
The march-past began at approximately 15:34 with the military academies. They were followed by contingents from the Navy, Air Force, Carabineros and Army. The parade lasted more than two hours.[2]
Women marched with several of the participating institutions, including the Army, Navy and Carabineros. The Navy contingent included 60 female recruits from its health and dental specialties.[2][5]
Batallón Chile
[edit]More than 300 members of Batallón Chile No. 1 took part in the parade after returning from Haiti. The unit, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mario Messen Cañas, had deployed to Port-au-Prince in March 2004 as part of Chile's contribution to international peacekeeping operations following a request from the United Nations.[4]
Before the march-past, Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet decorated members of the battalion. The contingent later crossed the O'Higgins Park ellipse to the Army song Los viejos estandartes and was applauded by spectators.[2]
Contemporary reports highlighted the returning peacekeepers and the participation of women as two of the main features of the 2004 parade.[1][3]
At the end of the ceremony, Lagos instructed Army commander-in-chief General Juan Emilio Cheyre to congratulate the participating units.[1]
Foreign guests
[edit]Foreign military and government representatives attended the parade. They included Spanish defence minister José Bono and Spain's chief of the defence staff, General Félix Sanz Roldán, as well as the commanders of the Colombian Army and Ecuadorian Land Forces, Generals Luis Aguas and Martín Carreño, respectively.[2][1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Parada Militar cerró homenaje a tropas de paz". Emol (in Spanish). 19 September 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Presencia femenina y Batallón Chile marcaron la Parada Militar 2004". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 19 September 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Gran Parada Militar 2004" (in Spanish). Archivo Presidente Ricardo Lagos, Universidad Diego Portales. 19 September 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Bachelet encabezó la revista preparatoria de la Parada Militar". Emol (in Spanish). 16 September 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
