Editing Chicago Boys (section)

==Orlando Letelier’s Critique==

In his August 28, 1976, Nation article, “Economic Freedom’s Awful Toll,” Letelier, a former Allende minister and exile, sharply criticized the Chicago Boys’ policies:

Inequality: Letelier argued that neoliberal reforms enriched a small elite while impoverishing workers, with real wages dropping 40% by 1976 and unemployment hitting 20%. He cited the Gini coefficient rising from 0.45 to 0.55, reflecting stark inequality.

Repression: He linked economic policies to Pinochet’s human rights abuses, asserting that “repression for the many and economic freedom for the few” were intertwined. The Chicago Boys’ reforms required silencing labor and opposition, facilitated by Condor.

U.S. Influence: Letelier highlighted the Chicago Boys’ U.S. training and USAID funding, framing their policies as an extension of American imperialism, aligned with Milton Friedman’s 1975 visit to Chile, where he advised Pinochet.

Impact: Letelier’s article, published weeks before his assassination by DINA operative Michael Townley, exposed the social costs of neoliberalism, galvanizing international criticism of Pinochet. His murder on September 21, 1976, underscored the regime’s intolerance for dissent, as detailed in The Pinochet File by Peter Kornbluh.