“Thousands of Torchlight Will be Lit to Destroy the Enemies of the Homeland”. The Ritual Fascistization of the Youth under Pinochet

Abstract

This article analyses the Chilean dictatorship’s process of fascistization in the light of one of the most important rallies of the Pinochet regime: the youth mass gatherings at the top of Chacarillas hill organized by the National Unity Youth Front and supported by the National Youth Secretariat. Using several documentary sources and the biographic memory of some of their creators and participants, this work identifies the origin of these youth organisations and how they were related to state youths with fascist roots, particularly those of Franco’s regime. It also offers a reconstruction and an interpretation of the Chacarillas ritual ceremonies, examining their impact and relevance as an attempt by the Pinochet regime to spread a palingenetic narrative in order to institutionalize a political religion articulated by the cult and sacralization of youth.