Attitudes and Discursive Ruptures of the Economic Leaders: Chilean Business Associations in the Face of Human Rights Violations Under Pinochet Civil-military Dictatorship

Abstract

This article analyses the political attitudes of the Chilean business elite towards Human Rights violations during the Pinochet dictatorship, in terms of their valuations, knowledge and experiences. On the basis of 40 interviews with the leaders of two important employers' organisations, and applying a generational approach, it can be seen that there are significant differences in terms of their positions on this issue. The research reveals a discursive rupture in the positions of the business elite, which corroborates a distancing from the unrestricted support for the violence of the military regime, and a condemnation of it associated with a strong generational imprint.