What remains of Pinochet's Chile ?

This paper is an interim and provisional assessment of the Aylwin government, attempting to trace both the continuities with the previous Pinochet government, and the changes that have been introduced. It is necessary to emphasise that the Aylwin government is restrained by a Constitution which was designed by Pinochet, is very difficult to reform, and which, by appointing nine designated Senators effectively denies the Aylwin government a majority in the upper house of Congress. So the question of what remains of Pinochet's Chile really breaks down into two parts. The first is what did the Aylwin government have to accept of necessity? And the second is, what did it choose to retain when there were other alternative policies? Another, related question concerns the extent to which democracy has been consolidated in Chile. Is it really the case, as President Aylwin asserted in August 1991, that the transition is now over?