Bicentennial of Chile
Encyclopedia
The Bicentennial of Chile took place on September 18, 2010. Its celebration commemorates the beginning of the Independence process in Chile, with the first Government Junta of Chile
on September 18, 1810, and that after eight years, Chile became a free and independent country. Several activities have been prepared for this occasion by the Chilean Government.
The logotype, Logo Bicentenario was created in 2007 by advertising agency Lowe Porta. The stars on it abstractedly represent Latin America
n countries, and "happiness, celebrations and optimism."
The Government Junta of 1810
marked the beginning of the political Independence of Chile. It was a government body created by the open council (cabildo) of Santiago de Chile, on September 18, 1810, created in order to organize Chile governmentally and to take actions regarding the government's defense, after Ferdinand VII was taken prisoner by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808. The Junta was the first autonomous form of government originated in central Chile since its Conquest, and was presided by Governor of Chile Mateo de Toro y Zambrano
. It allowed the participation of the creole aristocracy, and it marked the beginning of the Chilean War of Independence. A National Congress was assembled by the Junta, which José Miguel Carrera
overturned with a coup d'état.
Bernardo O'Higgins
was granted dictatorial powers as Supreme Director of Chile on February 16, 1817, and Chile officially declared its Independence on February 12, 1818.
, and is to be completed on September 18, 2010. A committee, Comisión Bicentenario, was established on October 16, 2002, through Supreme Decree N° 176.
Several plans have been made for the event, amidst them: the construction of major roadworks and infrastructure, such as Plaza de la Ciudadanía
, or cultural works, such as La Moneda Palace Cultural Centre (Centro Cultural Palacio de la Moneda), Library of Santiago (Biblioteca de Santiago) and the Matucana 100 Cultural Centre (Centro Cultural Matucana 100).
However, Puente Bicentenario (Bicentennial Bridge), that was going to connect Chiloé with Continental Chile
was cancelled, after the estimated cost exceeded the originally budgeted.
started in 2008 a public competition to design postage stamps to commemorate the Bicentennial. The contestants were divided into four categories: Basic Education (Enseñanza Básica), Secondary Education (Enseñanza Media), Higher Education (Enseñanza Superior) and Visual Artist (Artista Visual). The winning designs were submitted in 2009, and were created by Andrea Barreda (Basic Education), Javiera Monreal (High School), Joshua Arevalo (Higher Education), and Patricio Díaz (Visual Artist). The Bicentennial stamp series were officially launched on October 15, 2009.
On April 20, 2009, Correos de Chile launched a special issue of 15 stamps that were used for the centenary celebrations of Chile. The stamps dating from 1910 contained the official logo for the Bicentennial, and were sold by CLP
$310 (US$0,62). 30,000 copies were print. A stamp with the official logo of the Bicentennial was released too.
, the Andes Mountains and the Andean Cross. Two versions of the medal exist, one made of silver, and another of bronze.
has produced shows such as Flor de País (Flower of Country), Héroes (Heroes), Los 80
(The Eighties), Recomiendo Chile ([I] Recommend Chile), Santiago no es Chile (Santiago is not Chile) and Voy y Vuelvo ([I'll] go and come back [later]).
Televisión Nacional de Chile
has broadcasted shows such as Chile Elige (Chile Chooses), Hora 25 (25th Hour), Grandes Chilenos de Nuestra Historia (Greatest Chileans of Our History, based on BBC
's 100 Greatest Britons
), Epopeya (Epic), and Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile
(They must have done something for the history of Chile). Chilevisión
created the miniseries Postales, that last about a minute and a half. Chilevisión also dramatized guerrilla Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza's biography on the homonymic TV series
.
La Red has exhibited Agenda Bicentenario (Bicentennial Schedule) since 2008, showing important places of Chile during its history. Finally, Megavisión
launched the TV series Adiós al Séptimo de Línea (Goodbye to the Seventh Line) in 2010, based on Jorge Inostroza
's homonymic book.
approved the Independence Act of Chile. However, the Centennial of Chile was celebrated on 1910, under the presidency of Pedro Montt
(who died on August 16, 1910), Elías Fernández Albano (temporary), Emiliano Figueroa Larraín (temporary) and Ramón Barros Luco
. The other countries celebrating its Bicentennial in 2010 also celebrate the beginning of their Independence process through the creation of their First Government Junta, including Venezuela on April 19, Argentina on May 25, Colombia on July 20, Mexico on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Bolivia on May 25, 1809.
Arica and Parinacota, and Tarapacá
regions face a historical paradox. These regions will celebrate the Bicentennial, but they have belonged to Chile only for 130 years, because they were formerly part of Peru, which gained its Independence on 1821.
Government Junta of Chile (1810)
Government Junta of the Kingdom of Chile , also known as the First Government Junta, was the organ established to rule Chile following the deposition and imprisonment of King Ferdinand VII by Napoleon Bonaparte...
on September 18, 1810, and that after eight years, Chile became a free and independent country. Several activities have been prepared for this occasion by the Chilean Government.
The logotype, Logo Bicentenario was created in 2007 by advertising agency Lowe Porta. The stars on it abstractedly represent Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n countries, and "happiness, celebrations and optimism."
Background
Government Junta of Chile (1810)
Government Junta of the Kingdom of Chile , also known as the First Government Junta, was the organ established to rule Chile following the deposition and imprisonment of King Ferdinand VII by Napoleon Bonaparte...
marked the beginning of the political Independence of Chile. It was a government body created by the open council (cabildo) of Santiago de Chile, on September 18, 1810, created in order to organize Chile governmentally and to take actions regarding the government's defense, after Ferdinand VII was taken prisoner by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808. The Junta was the first autonomous form of government originated in central Chile since its Conquest, and was presided by Governor of Chile Mateo de Toro y Zambrano
Mateo de Toro y Zambrano
Field Marshal Mateo de Toro Zambrano y Ureta, 1st Count of La Conquista , frequently misnamed Mateo de Toro y Zambrano in many Chilean history publications, was Viscount of La Descubierta and later Count of La Conquista...
. It allowed the participation of the creole aristocracy, and it marked the beginning of the Chilean War of Independence. A National Congress was assembled by the Junta, which José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo was a Chilean general, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most important leader of the Chilean War of Independence during the period of the Patria Vieja...
overturned with a coup d'état.
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
was granted dictatorial powers as Supreme Director of Chile on February 16, 1817, and Chile officially declared its Independence on February 12, 1818.
Plan Bicentenario
The Plan Bicentenario (Bicentennial Plan) was started during the government of Ricardo LagosRicardo Lagos
Ricardo Froilán Lagos Escobar is a lawyer, economist and social democrat politician, who served as president of Chile from 2000 to 2006. He won the 1999-2000 presidential election by a narrow margin in a runoff over Independent Democrat Union candidate Joaquín Lavín...
, and is to be completed on September 18, 2010. A committee, Comisión Bicentenario, was established on October 16, 2002, through Supreme Decree N° 176.
Several plans have been made for the event, amidst them: the construction of major roadworks and infrastructure, such as Plaza de la Ciudadanía
Plaza de la Ciudadanía
Plaza de la Ciudadanía is a public square located in the southern façade of the Palacio de La Moneda . It used to be part of the grass garden and parking area of the Palace....
, or cultural works, such as La Moneda Palace Cultural Centre (Centro Cultural Palacio de la Moneda), Library of Santiago (Biblioteca de Santiago) and the Matucana 100 Cultural Centre (Centro Cultural Matucana 100).
However, Puente Bicentenario (Bicentennial Bridge), that was going to connect Chiloé with Continental Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
was cancelled, after the estimated cost exceeded the originally budgeted.
Postage stamps
Correos de ChileCorreos de Chile
Correos de Chile, also known as CorreosChile , is the institution in charge of the postal system of the Republic of Chile. It was founded in 1750.- External links :* * * *...
started in 2008 a public competition to design postage stamps to commemorate the Bicentennial. The contestants were divided into four categories: Basic Education (Enseñanza Básica), Secondary Education (Enseñanza Media), Higher Education (Enseñanza Superior) and Visual Artist (Artista Visual). The winning designs were submitted in 2009, and were created by Andrea Barreda (Basic Education), Javiera Monreal (High School), Joshua Arevalo (Higher Education), and Patricio Díaz (Visual Artist). The Bicentennial stamp series were officially launched on October 15, 2009.
On April 20, 2009, Correos de Chile launched a special issue of 15 stamps that were used for the centenary celebrations of Chile. The stamps dating from 1910 contained the official logo for the Bicentennial, and were sold by CLP
Chilean peso
The peso is the currency of Chile. The current peso has circulated since 1975, with a previous version circulating between 1817 and 1960. The symbol used locally for it is $. The ISO 4217 code for the present peso is CLP. It is subdivided into 100 centavos, although no centavo denominated coins...
$310 (US$0,62). 30,000 copies were print. A stamp with the official logo of the Bicentennial was released too.
Medal
The Mint of Chile (Casa de Moneda de Chile) created a oval-shaped medal, designed by Verónica Astaburuaga. The Bicentennial logo is on the obverse side, and on the reverse a map of Chile, showing the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, the Andes Mountains and the Andean Cross. Two versions of the medal exist, one made of silver, and another of bronze.
Non-governmental initiatives
There have been several non-governmental initiatives which seek to highlight the celebration of the Bicentennial. Some of these initiatives are:- Edificio Titanium La Portada, inaugurated on May 3, 2010. It is the first building 200 meters high built in Chile by a private company (Inmobiliaria Titanium). It did not suffer any structural damage in the February 27, 2010 earthquake2010 Chile earthquakeThe 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
. The Titanium La Portada building is located in Las CondesLas CondesLas Condes is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. The area is inhabited primarily by upper-mid to high income families...
. - A replica of Corbeta Esmeralda in IquiqueIquiqueIquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the Pampa del Tamarugal. It had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census...
, by Minera Collahuasi. Its cost is estimated in US$3 millions. - The construction of the tallest skyscraper in Chile, Torre Gran CostaneraTorre Gran CostaneraThe Gran Torre Santiago , previously known as Gran Costanera Tower, is a skyscraper under construction in Santiago, Chile. In February 2011 it became the tallest building in South America....
by Cencosud in ProvidenciaProvidencia, ChileProvidencia is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. Part of Greater Santiago, it is bordered by the communes of Santiago to the west, Recoleta to the northwest, Las Condes and Vitacura to the northeast, La Reina to the east, and Ñuñoa to the south.In 2006...
, Santiago. - "Lágrimas de Luna" Exposition in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 2009, inaugurated by Empresas CMPC and El MercurioEl MercurioEl Mercurio is a conservative Chilean newspaper with editions in Valparaíso and Santiago. Its Santiago edition is considered the country's paper-of-record and its Valparaíso edition is the oldest daily in the Spanish language currently in circulation. El Mercurio is owned by El Mercurio S.A.P...
. The exposition included several MapucheMapucheThe Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
jewels.
Television
The Chilean television channels have created several shows to commemorate the Bicentennial. Canal 13Canal 13 (Chile)
Canal 13 , is the second oldest television station in Chile. It is owned by Luksic Group associated with the Papal Catholic University of Chile. Its inaugural transmission took place on August 21, 1959...
has produced shows such as Flor de País (Flower of Country), Héroes (Heroes), Los 80
Los 80
Los 80 is a Chilean drama TV series for Canal 13 produced to celebrate the Bicentennial of Chile, starring Daniel Muñoz, Tamara Acosta, Daniel Alcaíno, Loreto Aravena, and Tomás Verdejo...
(The Eighties), Recomiendo Chile ([I] Recommend Chile), Santiago no es Chile (Santiago is not Chile) and Voy y Vuelvo ([I'll] go and come back [later]).
Televisión Nacional de Chile
Televisión Nacional de Chile
TVN is Chile's state-owned television station. Its inaugural transmission took place on 1969. TVN is owned, but not funded, by the state, and it functions independently from it; a very particular case of public television in South America...
has broadcasted shows such as Chile Elige (Chile Chooses), Hora 25 (25th Hour), Grandes Chilenos de Nuestra Historia (Greatest Chileans of Our History, based on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's 100 Greatest Britons
100 Greatest Britons
100 Greatest Britons was broadcast in 2002 by the BBC. The programme was the result of a vote conducted to determine whom the United Kingdom public considers the greatest British people in history. The series, Great Britons, included individual programmes on the top ten, with viewers having further...
), Epopeya (Epic), and Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile
Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile
Algo habrán hecho por la historia de Chile is a documentary film for television that narrates the history of Chile. It has the format of the Argentine documentary film Algo habrán hecho por la historia argentina, and it was aired by Televisión Nacional de Chile as part of the Bicentennial of Chile...
(They must have done something for the history of Chile). Chilevisión
Chilevisión
CHV, also known as Chilevisión, is the third oldest television station in Chile. Formerly called Teleonce and RTU , this TV station was owned by University of Chile, a Chilean state university...
created the miniseries Postales, that last about a minute and a half. Chilevisión also dramatized guerrilla Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza's biography on the homonymic TV series
Manuel Rodríguez (2010 TV series)
Manuel Rodríguez was a Chilean telenovela broadcasted in Chilevisión, based on the Chilean guerrilla Manuel Rodríguez Erdoiza. It was first aired on March 15, 2010.- Cast :* Ricardo Fernández as Manuel Rodríguez...
.
La Red has exhibited Agenda Bicentenario (Bicentennial Schedule) since 2008, showing important places of Chile during its history. Finally, Megavisión
Red Televisiva Megavisión
MEGA, formerly known as Red Televisiva Megavisión, is the first private TV channel of Chile. It currently airs in Santiago on digital frequency channel 27 for HDTV.Among the many TV shows broadcast on MEGA are:...
launched the TV series Adiós al Séptimo de Línea (Goodbye to the Seventh Line) in 2010, based on Jorge Inostroza
Jorge Inostroza
Jorge Inostroza is a Chilean footballer currently playing for Curicó Unido of the Primera Division B in Chile....
's homonymic book.
Controversies
It has been criticized that the Bicentennial of Chile is celebrated on 2010, because Chile gained its Independence on February 12, 1818, when Bernardo O'HigginsBernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
approved the Independence Act of Chile. However, the Centennial of Chile was celebrated on 1910, under the presidency of Pedro Montt
Pedro Montt
Pedro Elías Pablo Montt Montt was a Chilean political figure. He served as the president of Chile from 1906 to his death from a probable stroke in 1910...
(who died on August 16, 1910), Elías Fernández Albano (temporary), Emiliano Figueroa Larraín (temporary) and Ramón Barros Luco
Ramón Barros Luco
Ramón Barros Luco was President of Chile between 1910 and 1915.Barros Luco was born in 1835 in Santiago, Barros Luco was son of Ramón Luis Barros Fernández and Dolores Luco Fernández de Leiva. He graduated from Law School in 1858...
. The other countries celebrating its Bicentennial in 2010 also celebrate the beginning of their Independence process through the creation of their First Government Junta, including Venezuela on April 19, Argentina on May 25, Colombia on July 20, Mexico on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Bolivia on May 25, 1809.
Arica and Parinacota, and Tarapacá
Tarapacá Region
The I Tarapacá Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It borders the Chilean Arica and Parinacota Region to the north, Bolivia's Oruro Department on the east, the Antofagasta Region on the south and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The port city of Iquique The I Tarapacá...
regions face a historical paradox. These regions will celebrate the Bicentennial, but they have belonged to Chile only for 130 years, because they were formerly part of Peru, which gained its Independence on 1821.
See also
- Bicentennial of Argentina
- Celebration of Mexican political anniversaries in 2010Celebration of Mexican political anniversaries in 2010In 2010, Mexico celebrated both the 200th anniversary of its Independence and 100th anniversary of its Revolution. The entire year was proclaimed by President Felipe Calderón as "Año de la Patria", or "Year of the Nation." 16 September 1810 is the day of the "Grito de Dolores" or Miguel Hidalgo's...
- United States BicentennialUnited States BicentennialThe United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...