Early Colonization

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Early Inhabitants and Colonization The Atacameño, Diaguita, Araucanian, Mapuche, and Selk’nam were among the earliest inhabitants of present-day Chile. They were met by the Incas from Peru, who arrived in the north by the mid-15th century. Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan became the first European to sight Chilean shores, in 1520, after successfully navigating around the southern tip of the American continent. Diego de Almagro claimed Chile as part of the Spanish Empire in 1536, and in 1541 Pedro de Valdivia commenced the Spanish conquest despite strong resistance by Araucanians in southern Chile. Chileans now revere many early indigenous warriors, like Caupolicán and Lautaro, as national heroes. Independence and Conflict Chile began fighting …show more content…

He is credited with implementing successful antipoverty programs, securing greater rights for indigenous groups, and maintaining a delicate balance between opposing political forces. Later leaders emphasized more social spending for education and antipoverty measures. They also pursued closer economic ties with North and South America and constitutional reforms to reduce the military's political influence. Under these reforms, Chilean presidents are no longer permitted to serve two consecutive terms and they are allowed to fire military commanders. In 2006, Chile elected its first female president, Michelle Bachelet, whose father died in prison during the Pinochet era and who, as a Socialist Party leader, was temporarily imprisoned herself. Her government continued the work of previous center-left governments to expose the fate of and compensate the families of those who disappeared or had been tortured during the Pinochet regime. Pinochet died in 2006 without acknowledging his alleged role in the disappearances. Bachelet was reelected in December 2013, after three years of right-wing rule by President Sebastián …show more content…

Smaller-scale protests continued throughout following years as well. The Chilean government, especially that of President Bachelet, has responded by proposing education reforms funded by higher corporate taxes. Such reforms include bringing public schools under national control, prohibiting state-subsidized primary and secondary schools from seeking profits and using selective admissions policies, and making university education more affordable. Students have complained that the reforms are not universally applied and do not go far enough in addressing structural problems with the education

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