National Democratic Agreement

The National Democratic Agreement (Spanish: Acuerdo Democrático Nacional, ADENA) was a Chilean political coalition existing between 1984 and 1985 that brought together parties, movements and supporters of the military dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet.

National Democratic Agreement
Acuerdo Democrático Nacional
Founded2 July 1984
Dissolved22 June 1985
HeadquartersSantiago, Chile
IdeologyConservatism
Nationalism
Anti-communism
Political positionCentre-right to right-wing

History

Grupo de los Ocho

In the context of political openness fostered by the Minister of the Interior, Sergio Onofre Jarpa, Government-supporter parties decided to join as a counterpart to the emergence of opposition forces such as the Democratic Alliance (centre-left) and the People's Democratic Movement (revolutionary left).

Originally 8 parties organised -hence its original name, the Group of Eight (Grupo de los Ocho), characterized by their heterogeneity -they range from the nationalist right to democratic socialism- but shared its legitimacy to existing institutions after the enactment of the 1980 Constitution and the defense of the coup of 1973.[1][2][3] These parties and movements were:[4]

Foundation and development

As expected, the lack of cohesion and consensus within the conglomerate led to the UDI, the PADENA and PN withdraw the coalition in July 1984.[1][5][6] The remaining five members decided to meet in the National Democratic Agreement, officially constituted on 2 July with the aim of proposing the necessary reforms to allow for a peaceful transition to democracy.[7][8] They chose Juan de Dios Carmona as chief of their executive committee.[1]

ADENA proposals -also made by the Group of Eight in May of that same year- consisted of:[6][9]

  • Enactment of the Law on Political Parties before 1984 ended.
  • Call for a plebiscite in 1985 with the purpose of consulting the public the option to call earlier for parliamentary elections (planned for 1989).
  • Conducting parliamentary elections and installation of Congress in 1986.

It had its own newspaper: La Contra, which circulated with just a single trial edition on 5 September 1984. This publication described the ADENA as «a grouping of centre-right, the only party that has submitted to the government some motions designed to expedite the return to democracy through a secure and continuous process peacefully».[10]

On September 28, 1984 the Social Democratic Workers Movement (Movimiento Obrero Socialdemócrata) and a splinter group of the PADENA led by Apollonides Parra joined the ADENA.[11]

The categorical rejection of Pinochet to early elections and its proposed law on political parties -rejected by all sectors- led to the failure of the ADENA, which was dissolved on June 22, 1985, after the authorities lifted the state of siege in the country.[1][12][13]

References
  1. Friedmann, Reinhard (1988). La Política Chilena de la A a la Z (in Spanish). Santiago, Chile: Melquíades.
  2. "Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  3. William Thayer A. "La apertura política" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  4. Juan Velarde. "Informe sobre Chile" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  5. "Los siete pecados capitales". Apsi (in Spanish). 17 July 1984. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  6. "Los partidos tradicionales de Chile no aceptan la Constitución de Pinochet". El País (in Spanish). 2 August 1984. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  7. "UDI y Grupo de los Ocho" (PDF). Ercilla (in Spanish). 11 July 1984. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  8. Vicaría de la Solidaridad (3 July 1984). "Resumen de Prensa" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  9. María Angélica Bulnes (14 May 1984). "Los partidos proponen una apertura democrática en Chile". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  10. "AÑO I, Nº 00". La Nación (in Spanish). 30 November 2003. Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  11. Vicaría de la Solidaridad (29 September 1984). "Resumen de Prensa" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  12. Carlos Huneeus. "La dinámica de "los nuevos autoritarismos": Chile en una perspectiva comparada" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  13. "Ruptura de ADENA". El País (in Spanish). 24 June 1985. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
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