The Multiple Facets of Chile: Memory and Sociopolitical Reflections in La locura de Pinochet by Luis Sepúlveda

Abstract

La locura de Pinochet (2002), written by Luis Sepúlveda (Chile, 1949 – Spain, 2020), is the starting point of a journey towards the past during which, through memory, the invasive powers at work in the Chilean territory are studied as they progressively led to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. This book, which is a collection of chronicles initially published in the international press, reveals elements of the Chilean reality during and after the dictatorship which transformed the sociopolitical context of the country, having a lasting effect even during the years of the transition to democracy. The aim is to analyse these research axes and their impact on the Chilean territory in geopolitical terms. As a result, historical moments are described which reveal social wounds half a century after the coup d’ Etat on 11th September 1973. Moreover, the unique thought of Luis Sepúlveda will also be examined as he was one of the most emblematic authors of his generation. His literary production as appears in the texts examined raises questions regarding justice and memory, highlighting them as the cornerstone of his work.