Public Opinion, Democracy, and the Armed Forces: Chile before the 1973 Military Coup

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate support for a military government and the image of the Chilean Armed Forces in the months leading up to the 1973 military coup, in a context of high political upheaval. To this end, it is based on surveys conducted in 1972 and 1973 that allow for measuring public opinion about the Armed Forces and the military government. The results show that, months before the military coup, approximately 25% of the Chilean population supported a military government. Furthermore, the Armed Forces had broad popular support and were perceived as reliable and politically neutral actors. Although it has been argued that the Armed Forces had an insurrectionary character before the coup, this study concludes that this image was not reflected in Chilean public opinion then.