POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN THE PROVINCE OF LLANQUIHUE DURING THE UNIDAD POPULAR’S AGRARIAN REFORM, 1970-1973

Abstract

This article describes and examines the rural violence associated with the Unidad Popular’s (UP) implementation of the Agrarian Reform in the province of Llanquihue, as well as the limits faced by the government in dealing with the situation. Th e analysis focuses on one of the most dramatic yet unknown cases from the period: the shooting death of three peasants in the “Mirador” ranch near the town of Frutillar, which was carried out by a group of landowners and members of Patria y Libertad. Despite the government’s involvement in the aft ermath, nobody was found guilty due to the landowners’ privileged access to the justice system. While these events occurred within the context of the country’s progressive social and political radicalization, the relatively late appearance at the local level of groups specializing in the use of violence helps to explain this dramatic episode.