Hola a Todos!
I have about 8 pages of Spanish essays awaiting my attention before I can be done with midterms, so naturally here I am writing to you all in the best form of procrastination that exists. Today I have been thinking about a lot of things (as always), but I have been especially pensive because this day holds such huge significance not only for my friends and family back in the States, but also for the impact it has in Chile.
You see, today is not only the 12th anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, but it is also the 40th anniversary of the Golpe de Estado in Chile that ended the presidential term of Salvador Allende and began the long reign of Augusto Pinochet as dictator. This was a very dark time for many Chileans, including my padre, with whom I have had many long, deep, and heartfelt chats about the matter. This day is especially meaningful for him and his family because his brother was among the 12,000 Chileans tortured and 3,000 who were killed under the Pinochet regime. I have listened to hours of him recounting what it was like to grow up in a world where people were afraid to leave their houses and when you never knew if certain moments were going to be the last you ever saw a friend or family member. Every story he tells me brings up dark images that have a 1984 sort of feel. The government controlled everything. People lived with an nearly inexistant sense of hope, but there was still a flicker of it remaining. I have gotten such a unique and special look at this situation and I wish I could tell you all what he has told me, however we would be here for days and I have homework to do :o)
The most impactful moment I experienced today was in my literature class. My favorite elderly Chilean prof told us today that he took a moment in his morning class to have the class of Chileans sit in silence and honor the memory of all those who were not only lost in Chile, but ALSO those lives that were lost in the U.S. over a decade ago. This comment made me stop and think for a second. When was the last time any United States citizen has stopped to do the same thing on September 11th? For many, this fall day was just another spot on the calendar until the planes crashed into those magnificent buildings in 2001. Yet, Chile has been experiencing a grand sense of loss and hurt for 30 years more. In fact, I wonder if I brought up the deaths in Chile on this same day if it would be met with indifference or with the same level of respect and consideration that my professor showed today. As citizens of the United States, I think sometimes we fail to realize the pedestal we have been put on in the eyes of the rest of the world. And from this pedestal we need to be more conscious of how our actions affect those we interact with. Maybe show a sense of humility and think about other countries for a change. Just some thoughts I had on this incredibly heavy day.
Now for lighter discourse, although on a somewhat related note! Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend the Chile versus Venezuela soccer match! It was absolutely incredible and I could not have asked for a better game to see while in South America. Below are parts of an article I wrote for the Gustavian Weekly about my experience and how my experience in the stadium is related to the events of today 40 years prior. It’s gotta little bit of history, culture, and pure excitement!
The experience of being completely enveloped in a roaring crowd is one that will never lose excitment for me. Last Friday, I found myself settled deep in a mass of red, white, and blue that covered the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, belting out Chilean gritos or chants at the top of my lungs, and sometimes letting the roar of others enshroud me and resonate deep within my body. I had finally accomplished one of my life dreams and was attending the World Cup qualifier between Chile and Venezuela. I could not have been more enthused, however, this game wasn’t just a typical game, as it took place very close to the 40th anniversary of the Golpe de Estado of Chile on September 11th, 1973. During this historical event, the stadium in Santiago was used as a means to contain over 12,000 Chilean prisoners of the state, most of whom were tortured within those walls, and some of whom never left the stadium. Knowing this information gave my trip to Santiago a whole new dimension, as like most things in this country, this game also had an underlying political theme.
We loaded the bus early Friday afternoon and set off to enjoy a beautiful day that would hopefully end in a glorious victory over Chile’s greatest South American competitor, Venezuela. For being a group of foreign exchange students, we all got extremely patriotic and decided to represent our adopted country the best we could. We all doused our faces in paint to look like the chilean flag, wore the Chilean national colors, and flags were in nearly everyone’s hands, ready to be woven in celebration of this nation’s atheltic talent. Needless to say the atmosphere on the bus was one of great enthusiasm and joy as we all were ready to see if the rumors of Chileans’ die-hard passion for soccer were true.
The bus stopped halfway between Valparaíso and Santiago in a beautful park tucked inbetween two highways, close to the gorgeous mountain range so we could have a traditional Chilean cookout called an asado. With the smell of fire and meat surrounding us, the excitement only continued to grow as we discussed various players, whether we thought Chile could pull a win, and what the atmosphere of the game would be like. It was also at this stop that I learned about a very crucial campaign put in place by Amnesty International. Because of the anniversary of the Golpe de Estado, Amnesty International organized a campaign for a Gol de Silencio which translates directly to mean ‘goal of silence’. They proposed that in order to respect the 12,000 individuals who were detained in the stadium, the fans of Chile withold their chants and cheers after the first goal that Chile made. They wanted to set this movement in motion to respect their history and pay homage to those who lost so much during that trying time under the dictatorship. After learning this, I was intrigued to see if these extremely passionate soccer fanatics would listen and follow the movement, or defy it and possibly cheer extra loud.
Walking into the stadium itself was already quite the experience. The sea of people passing through security was one of the biggest I’ve seen in my life, and at this point our group was actually jumping up and down with pure exuberance. We had made it finally, and were ready to enjoy what we, and the rest of the stadium, considered to be the world’s greatest game. Walking into the actual stadium to find our seats was like walking into a dream. The lights were so bright, and although it was two hours before game time, the stadium was nearly filled to the brim. For a while, I was speechless, and couldn’t do more than take in the hoards of people dressed in red, white, and blue. The atsmophere was incredibly overwhelming and humbling in a way. One thing I definitely couldn’t ignore was the obvious presence of the carabineros, or the Chilean police force. Their marching band played both of the national anthems and other officers were situated at every turn, mostly for safety reasons, but seeing their presence always brought me back to 40 years prior. Once again I was brought back to thinking about the political prisoners, the role these government officials previously had, and couldn’t help but get chills.
The game started, and pushing all morbid thoughts aside, I completely dived into the excitment of the game. Chile had amazing offense and was able to work the ball easily around the Venezuelan defense. Time passed. We all waited with intense anticipation for the ball to find it’s way past the goalkeeper’s finger tips into the net of the goal. After only ten minutes, Chilean forward Eduardo Vargas made the first goal! Out of mindless excitment I let out a huge cheer, but quickly stopped. I waited. But I didn’t hear silence. The fans were going crazy. Chileans were cheering for their team with more bravado than I could have ever imagined and I simultaneously felt a moment of celebration and mild disappointment. Yes, hearing the roar of the crowd was something magnificent, but I can only imagine how more impactful complete silence would have been. I only allowed myself to lament for a few moments before being swept up in the wave of celebration once more. The team went on to score two more goals, ensuring their continuation on the road to Brazil and the World Cup. It was the most incredible game I could have asked to watch, and an experience I’ll never forget.
On the bus ride home amidst the flag waving and chants of ‘¡VIVA CHILE!’, I wrestled with what had just occurred after that first goal. Why were they so unwilling to comply with Amnesty’s request? Did they not respect those who had suffered under Pinochet’s dictatorship? I came to two conclusions. First, the fans wanted nothing more than to celebrate that first goal, just like any other goal that has taken place in that stadium. They wanted to support the team, and had no concern with politics at that moment in time. On the other hand, I realized maybe this was a way of them showing their desire to move past this tragic event in their country’s history. Their inability to remain silent not only celebrated the goal that propelled their team to victory, but also portrayed their desire not to dwell on the pain of the past, but celebrate the present. This second realization made a lot more sense and portrays what I like to call the spirit of Chile. The people here are able to recognize difficulties, but do not linger on them. The most important thing I’ve learned so far from them on this study abroad adventure, is to do the same: acknowledge adversity, but realize that focusing on the present allows one to heal and grow from the experience. This soccer game was just another incredible opportunity to reinforce this mentality. CHI-CHI-CHI-LE-LE-LE ¡VIVA CHILE!
Well here is my short novel that is probably equivalent to the amount I actually need to write for credit later, BUT I hope you all learned something and maybe even enjoyed it? I will leave you all with pictures from the game and the exciting news that in just TWO SHORT DAYS I will be taking a loooooong bus ride up to the beautiful town of San Pedro de Atacama. I will be there for a week or so with a group of friends to celebrate the Fiestas Patrias (Chilean Independence Day) so if communication seems a bit delayed, that is the reason why.
I hope all is well with you wherever you may be in the world.
Chao y Besos
Up From Below 