Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 368

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Chile has land borders with Argentina,
Bolivia and Peru. Santiago is Chile's
main transportation hub with numerous
flights from Europe, North and South
America, Australia and New Zealand.
You can also fly to Chile's neighbours
from several smaller airports such as
Arica, Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt.

1810 The criollo elite of Santiago de Chile decide that Chile
will be self-governed until the Spanish king is restored to
the throne.
1817 Bernardo O'Higgins defeats Spanish royalists in the
Battle of Chacabuco with the help of Argentine general
José San Martín, as part of the movement to liberate South
America from colonial rule.
1818 Full independence won from Spain. O'Higgins signs
the Chilean Declaration of Independence.
1829 Wealthy elite seizes power with dictator Diego
Portales at the helm.
1832-60s Mineral deposits found in the north of the
country, stimulating economic growth.
1879-83 Chilean troops occupy the Bolivian port of
Antofagasta, precipitating the War of the Pacific against
Bolivia and Peru.
1914 With the creation of the Panama Canal, shipping
routes no longer need to pass via the Cape, thus ending
Valparaíso's glory days. The invention of synthetic fertilizers
in Germany ends the nitrates boom.
1927-31 Carlos Ibáñez del Campo becomes Chile's first
dictator, founding the corps of carabineros (militarized
police); Chile is badly affected by the economic crash of
1929.
1932-52 Period of political instability: land belongs
largely to the elite, while US corporations control Chile's
copper production. Seeds are sewn of a political divide
between left and conservative right.
1946 Gabriel González Videla becomes president of a
broad coalition of parties; bowing to pressure from the US,
he outlaws the Communist Party.
1970 Socialist leader Salvador Allende becomes the first
democratically elected Marxist president by a slim margin.
1973-89 General Augusto Pinochet seizes control of the
country with the support of the Chilean armed forces and
the CIA. Intense repression of the regime's opponents
follows, including arrests, torture and “disappearances”;
thousands flee the country.
1990 Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin is elected president
and Pinochet steps down peacefully, though not before
securing constitutional immunity from prosecution.
2004 The Chilean Supreme Court strips Pinochet of immunity
from prosecution.
2006 Socialist leader Michelle Bachelet, former torture
victim of the Pinochet regime, is elected president.
Pinochet dies under house arrest.
2010 Conservative businessman Sebastián Piñera named
president by a narrow margin. On February 27, Middle
Chile is hit by a massive earthquake that measures 8.8
on the Richter scale. In October, 33 Chilean miners are
rescued after 69 days trapped underground in a mine near
Copiapó.
2011 Students launch massive protests over costs and
quality of education.

FROM ARGENTINA
Numerous border crossings from
Argentina to Chile are served by public
buses, though those in the high Andes are
seasonal and some in Patagonia may close
for bad weather. Besides the frequently
used Mendoza to Santiago crossing via
the Los Libertadores tunnel, popular
routes in the Lake District include
Bariloche to Osorno, San Martín de
Los Andes to Temuco and Bariloche to
Puerto Varas by ferry across Lago Todos
Los Santos. Southern Patagonian routes
include Comodoro Rivadavia to
Coyhaique, El Calafate to Puerto Natales
and Río Gallegos to Punta Arenas,
plus frequent (though highly weather-
dependent) boat crossings from Ushuaia
to Puerto Williams. There's also a crossing
from Villa O'Higgins to El Chaltén (see
box, p.461). In the north, the popular
Jujuy and Salta to San Pedro de Atacama
bus crossing is best booked in advance.

4

FROM BOLIVIA
The year-round crossing from La Paz to
Arica is particularly easy, with a good
paved highway running between the two
cities and plentiful buses. There are
infrequent buses from Uyuni to San Pedro
de Atacama via the Portezuelo del Cajón.

FROM PERU
Frequent trains, buses, colectivos and
taxis serve the year-round crossing from
Tacna to Arica.

DEPARTURE TAX
The departure tax on international
flights is US$30, which is usually included
in the ticket price. There is no departure
tax when leaving the country overland.