CHILE: Long Enough

Pedro Blanquier, economist and engineer, had never held public office in Chile (with the exception of a brief term as director of the State railroads) until fortnight ago when he became Premier. Last week Pedro Blanquier was back in private life. Eight days of Pedro were apparently enough for Chile’s wily Dictator, swart President Carlos Ibanez.

Premier Blanquier represented the Opposition. Wily President Ibanez allowed him to assume office when the press of Chile’s financial difficulties and secret political plottings threatened open revolution. One of Premier Blanquier’s first moves was to declare a moratorium on Chile’s foreign debt, from Chile’s point of view a much needed step (TIME, July 27). Not satisfied with that, he restored freedom of the press. Emissaries carried to Dictator Ibanez news of still more drastic reforms in the offing. Last week, eight days after taking office, Premier Blanquier and his ministers announced that they had struck “insurmountable difficulties,” and resigned.

New Premier was Francisco Garces Gana, president of the Central Bank and a loyal Ibanicero, who immediately appointed himself Minister of Finance as well, announced that he would serve without salary, except of course for what he makes as president of the national bank of issue.

Chilean liberals raged ineffectually. Students at the National and Catholic Universities declared a four-day strike, in memory of the “Four Days of Liberty” under Blanquier, locked themselves in the building and hung revolutionary flags from the windows. A crowd of over 2,000 organized a parade and attempted to march to Chile’s White House, the Casa Moneda. Kept away by a formidable cordon of police, the crowd retreated, relieved its feelings by tossing bricks through the windows of the Casa del Pueblo (founded by Ibanez). Then it gathered in front of the home of Miguel Letelier who had been suggested in the evening papers as Minister of the Interior, and set up a sing-song chant, “Don’t join the Cabinet! Don’t join the Cabinet!”

Miguel Letelier did join the Cabinet, but it did not do him much good. Premier Gana resigned 24 hours later. Dictator Ibanez immediately scraped up another cabinet under the leadership of Carlos Froedden, one of his oldest friends.

This might have filled the bill if the people of Chile had not suddenly decided that if eight days of Blanquier were long enough for Ibanez, four years of Ibanez were long enough for them. Crowds rioted for three days, overturning trolley cars, shouting “We want the head of Ibanez.”

Ibanez kept his head, resigned in favor of Vice President Pedro Opazo Letelier, slipped through deserted streets at dawn into the country and over the border to Argentina.

President pro temp. Opazo Letelier appointed Juan Esteben Montero premier of a new Cabinet. That afternoon the clamor of the Santiago crowds became, “Down with Opazo Letelier.” He resigned.

Premier Esteben Montero at once assumed the vice presidency. That made him acting President of Chile. He is temporarily the favorite of the students, who were making the most ruckus in Santiago last week. Versed in student excitements, he appeared at a tall window of the Moneda Palace, presidential residence, and got the clamoring crowd to sing. They sang until thirsty. Then they dispersed to restaurants for beer and harangues.

Expectation was that the current Government would continue the Chilean moratorium indefinitely.