Hectic Years

Chapter 7 examines the Pinochet regime’s stance on Jews from 1984 to 1990, comprising five sections. The first section focuses on the controversy surrounding Walther Rauff, a Nazi war criminal who had resided in Chile. Following the intervention of Beate Klarsfeld and Simon Wiesenthal—two emblematic “Nazi hunters” who publicly urged Pinochet to deport Rauff—Washington, London, and Jerusalem also pressured Santiago to act. Nevertheless, Pinochet adamantly refused to expel him. The second section delves into the antisemitic campaign carried out by Miguel Serrano during this period. The third section explores the complex dynamics of the period from 1984 to 1988. Pinochet sent high-ranking officers to Yom Kippur services, his ministers kept meeting with top Jewish representatives, and yet another Jew—Sergio Melnick—was appointed to his cabinet. More significantly, when two Jewish Communists masterminded an assassination attempt against him in 1987, Pinochet conspicuously refrained from drawing attention to their Jewish backgrounds. The fourth section covers the final 15 months of military rule. The fifth and final section highlights the most distinctive aspects of this story—General Pinochet and the Jews—serving as the conclusion to Part II. It draws comparisons between Chile’s experience and those of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.