Reruns From History?

Quite possibly, we’ve seen this show before…

Days after the 2024 election, Jon Stewart aired an interview with professor Heather Cox Richardson (Letters from an American) where they discussed likely outcomes for the next four years, grounded in US history and politics. But down in the comments, a different alarm was sounding — louder and more urgent. A voice of experience with a heads-up for all of us. 

I grew up in Chile during the dictatorship. In 1973, our democracy fell apart. A military coup overthrew Salvador Allende, our democratically-elected president, and the general who took his place, Augusto Pinochet, promised stability and order.

Looking back, it’s shocking how many of us welcomed his takeover, and believed that things would eventually go back to normal. Sure, there had been tension, anger, and even violence before the coup, but Chile had always been one of the most stable democracies in Latin America. Nobody imagined how much things could change—or how permanent those changes would be.

Pinochet’s rule lasted 16 years. Sixteen years of fear, exploitation, and silence. The government controlled everything: the press, the courts, even the neighborhoods. People disappeared. Others were tortured or executed. Censorship was everywhere. You couldn’t speak out without risking your life—or your family’s lives.

Even after it ended, Pinochet’s regime made sure its crimes would be swept under the rug. They passed amnesty laws to pardon everyone involved in human rights abuses. That’s the kind of power authoritarian regimes have—they rewrite the rules to protect themselves.

I’m writing this because when I watch what’s happening in the United States today, it feels eerily familiar. The political arguments, the growing divisions, the fear—it all reminds me of what Chile went through in the years before the coup. Back then, people underestimated how fragile democracy could be. We were naïve, just like many Americans seem to be now. I hear people say, “It could never happen here,” and all I can think is: That’s exactly what we thought.

When Pinochet took power, he opened the door to crime and corruption that upended our economy and threw our lives into chaos. We weren’t just afraid—we were powerless. But over time, we learned how to fight back.

It started small: human rights groups documenting abuses, exiled activists working from abroad, people whispering about resistance in secret. By the 1980s, these efforts had grown into a real movement. We built coalitions—people from different political and social groups coming together because they shared one goal: getting rid of Pinochet.

In 1988, Pinochet made a mistake. He had built himself a constitutional loophole, promising the international community that after eight years of power, there would be a national vote to decide whether he would stay for another eight. He was overconfident. He thought he’d scared us into submission, and he assumed he could rig the vote if he had to. But he underestimated the Chilean people.

The opposition’s campaign was more than just a political effort—it was a triumph of unity. Chileans who had once been deeply divided by ideology, class, and resentment came together with a shared purpose: to reclaim their democracy. After years of fear and anger, they recognized that freedom could only thrive through tolerance, respect, and understanding. The year of the election, over 94% of Chile’s population registered to vote.

This incredible solidarity became a super-strength, allowing them to rise above the differences that had once made them vulnerable to Pinochet’s lies. United, they sent a clear message: Chile deserved better. And it worked. Pinochet lost with only 44% of the vote; though he tried to hold on to power, he eventually had to step down.

But here’s the thing: What if Pinochet hadn’t gambled on that vote? What if he’d found a way to cling to power indefinitely? That’s what worries me most about America right now. If an authoritarian leader here learns from Pinochet’s mistakes—if they avoid giving the people any real choice—how will we fight back? How do we escape a system that’s designed to keep us trapped?

I don’t know the answer. But I do know this: The time to prepare is now. If Chile’s story has taught me anything, it’s that we can’t afford to be naïve. Don’t assume things will magically work out. Have a plan. Build connections. Protect the people and the values that really matter. And document everything—because one day, those records might be the key to holding power accountable.

I hope I’m wrong about what’s happening in America. I hope this country never has to go through what we went through in Chile. But hope isn’t a strategy. Let’s prepare for the worst now, so we’ll be ready if it comes.

Whatever the future holds, let’s remember to stand by our families, our principles, and our communities. The bonds we share with one another are what make us resilient. Come what may, let’s hold on to that connection and keep building a future where we can all thrive together. History has shown us that hope and solidarity can be powerful forces, no matter the challenge.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was inspired by a poignant comment from “@MariaMartinez-researcher,” a Youtuber who shared personal insights about living through Chile’s dictatorship. Their reflections prompted a deeper exploration of the parallels between historical events in Chile and current societal dynamics (and a creative summary by our own Local Chatbot).