The Two Modern Dictatorships in Romania and Chile 1970s–1989

Abstract

This chapter compares the dictatorships of Nicolae Ceaușescu in Romania and Augusto Pinochet in Chile with regard to the degree of centralization of power that was achieved by the two leaders, their economic models, and the repressive systems they enforced. Paradoxically, both regimes led to the formation of atomized societies where the citizens were enclosed in private spaces. The Ceaușescu regime was characterized by extreme personalization of power, with mandatory ritualized participation for citizens accompanying a centralized, planned economy and the constant presence of the secret police, the Securitate. Pinochet’s military regime, supported by ideologically diverse groups, put into place neoliberal reforms, which led to a transformed societal model and were maintained through the use of force.