POPULATION:
18,700,300
LITERACY RATE:
96%
SELF DEFENSE FORCES:
Chilean Republic Armed Forces
LANGUAGES:
 Spanish
ETHNIC GROUPS:
 white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
BORDERING COUNTRIES:
Peru, Bolivia, Argentina,
CHILE - Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte ruled Chile with an Iron fist as president until 1988, when he was ousted by election.  However due to the 1980 constitution, he remained both a senator for life and the military commander in chief.  In the first Central American conflict, Chile became extremely isolationist, refusing to ally itself or support any side of the conflict.  This did not win them any favors in their relationships with the US, nor did it garner amnesty with any of its neighbors.  Instead Chile waited out the war and held its borders tight.  Not that it didn't create serious debate in the government, the President at the time, Patricio Aylwin, wanted to support US troops, hoping that in return the US would help them resolve their skyrocketing inflation rate and overburdened economy, as the military commander, Pinochet refused to commit any troops to the situation.  When the worldwide collapse hit, this proved to be an extremely smart move on Pinochets part, as one of the very few countries in the region untouched by war, and with plenty of national resources to fall back on, Chile came out ahead.  Mostly this was due to the devastation rampant in its neighbors.  Almost overnight Chile became the major supplier of aid and materials to its devastated neighbors.

However when it was in discovered in 1997 that Pinochet had received large sums of money from EEC representatives in exchange for Chile staying out of the war, President Aylwin ordered his arrest publicly, on the charge of treason.  Pinochet, who seemed to not only be prepared for this, but almost expecting it, staged a counter attack, overtaking the government in a relatively bloodless coup.  Pinochet immediately declared himself President for life, and had Aylwin and his cabinet imprisoned.

The years that followed were prosperous for Chile, as Pinochet immediately began implementing socialist programs for health, employment and Education.  The period was also extremely brutal, as any opposition was harshly eradicated by military death squads, morbidly reminiscent of his Caravan of Death campaign from 1973.  Pinochet, now in complete control of the country, began to bolster the military heavily, buying surplus arms and equipment from anyone who would sell to him.  Chile also acted as the middleman for several illegal international arms trade operations, selling arms to eastern European and African countries under arms embargoes by the United Nations.  When the Second South American war hit, Chile boasted the largest and most well equipped standing military in the region.  They were approached heavily by both US and South American Alliance representatives, but again Pinochet refused to join either side.  When the Second South Am War finally ended, once again Chile's economy was bolstered, its countryside untouched by the conflict surrounding it.

In 2007, During a public address, Pinochet was assassinated.  While addressing the people, he was shot in the head by a sniper with a high powered rifle.  The sniper escaped arrest and was never caught, but rumors abound as to he was working for.   The official report claims her was a Chilean protester, and acted independently, while other claims have been made that the hit was carried out by United States operatives, or Colombian hitmen in retaliation for Pinochet not allying itself with either side of the war.  By far the strongest rumor, is that Pinochets successor, General Juan Manuel Guillermo Contreras Sepúlveda, had him assassinated so he could step into power himself.  Contreras had been Pinochet's right hand man, and leader of the Chilean secret police group, the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA) since 1973.  He was the man personally responsible for the death squads and for ferreting out and harshly dealing with all insurgence.  When he took over in 2006, all pretext of democracy was wiped away from Chilean government as he eliminated through public execution any government officials even suspected of disloyalty to his regime.  Contreras himself has undergone Full Body Conversion to a Gemini Package to alleviate the problems of old age.

Regardless of it's brutal dictatorship, Chile is a popular tourist destination, and boasts a very stable economy.  Its pristine beaches, and incredibly diverse geography make it ideal for European and north American travelers, not too mention the Polynesian islands, especially the mystery of Easter Island.  However tourists are strongly advised NEVER to even briefly discuss politics, and to make themselves aware of all laws in the country.  Chile also has the distinguishing feature of being the number one supplier of copper in the world, accounting for over a third of the worlds copper production, and a prime location for multi-national agri-corps.

For those wise enough never to openly question Contreras rule, or involve themselves in politics at all, life in Chile is actually pretty good.  The standard of living is high, and the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the world.  Socialized healthcare and education are universal, and Contreras, like Pinochet before him, has managed to broker foreign trade exports with the importation of current technology, making Chiles cities modern and up to date.  In rural areas even Chile supports better than average living, and the police, which are simply a branch of the military, keep the roads surprisingly safe from the bandits which plague the majority of non-urban South America.   However, there is a growing movement of freedom fighters opposing Contreras rule hiding in the Andes mountains, and all efforts to eradicate these rebels by the military and secret police have thus far been failures.

Recently Chile has once again been approached by the South American Alliance, in hopes that it will join them in opposing the almost inevitable Third South American War.  As of yet, Chile has made no public commitment, but it has been documented as selling arms to Colombian and Bolivian groups.  Chiles military itself, still one of the largest in the regions, is made up of EDF, Russian, and Chinese surplus.  Chile controls the western coast of South America for 2,880 miles, stretching from Peru all the way down to the tip of Cape Horn, sharing Drakes Passage with Argentina.

(Written by Deric "D" Bernier.)