Revitalización Económica: The Change of Chilean Economic Principles in the 1970s

Abstract

Socio-economic policy reforms of the 1970s had a profound impact on Chilean society. These reforms were highly controversial and sharply debated both nationally and internationally. My project investigates the impact of foreign interventions on Chile’s economy and society. These interventions resulted in a rise in economic activity and, at the same time, produced substantial social unrest. Despite social instability and human rights violations, these economic interventions forged the framework for a stable economic future. At the center of these economic reforms stood the “Chicago Boys” and their program for economic development known as El Ladrillo. The plan was implemented in the 1970s under Augusto Pinochet, after a violent coup, and have created political, economic, social and environmental upheaval throughout Chile with long-lasting effect. My project intends to articulate the effects of El Ladrillo on Chilean society and economy.