The image of General Augusto Pinochet handing over the presidential sash to Patricio Aylwin marks the beginning of a decade of major transformations in Chile. The end of military rule ushered in a period of economic decline and trade liberalization with a world that until then seemed to have turned its back on the country, injecting a dose of enthusiasm never before seen in a conservative society long battered by the effects of dictatorship. In the 1990s, Chile sometimes wanted to be seen as a jaguar, sometimes as an iceberg; sometimes transformed into a humble soccer player who rose to prominence at Real Madrid, and at other times into an arrogant tennis player who became number one. From the glitz of the Spandex parties to the revelry of Viva el lunes, through the emergence of new media such as the youth-oriented Zona de contacto and Radio Rock and Pop, every initiative seemed to have a place in a prosperous and seemingly global market. But this awakening took place in the context of a fragile democracy that was advancing with caution amid the blows to the table that the military and bishops continued to deliver.
With his sharp eye and unforgiving memory, Óscar Contardo takes a detailed look at all the milestones that marked the now-questioned 1990s in Chile, giving voice to its protagonists and providing a thorough and vivid chronicle of what they were and what they could have become.