THE DEFENSE IN CHILE FROM 1960 TO 2010: AN ISSUE OF THE MILITARY OR AN ISSUE OF EVERY CHILEAN CITIZEN?

Abstract

This essay presents a general vision of the national defense trough the last 50 years as well as a study of the National Defense System of Chile. The Decree 181 of 1960 that stated the organization of the system and structure of the National Defense is the starting point, a brief analysis of how it worked until 2010 when it was replaced by the new law of the MOD. The way it worked during the international crisis Chile faced during the 70s and 80s is also discussed. But this study does not stop there, it also tackles the way by which the defense policy evolved from an issue related only to the military, to become an issue of every Chilean citizen, through the widening of the knowledge of defense issues to the civilian and political elites, being the formulation of an explicit Defense Policy the cornerstone of the whole process, by means of the publishing of the three books of the national defense, along with other key public policies in defense issues whereas the contribution of the Defense Community, recognized as such in the Second Book of the Defense, was capital. This community has a representation of all the sectors of the civil society interested in defense issues as well as from the armed forces. This period ends with the law 20.424 “Organic Statute of the Ministry of Defense”, the most important change in defense issues, besides de DFL 181, since the creation of the Ministry of Defense back in 1932.