1997 Chilean Military Parade

The 1997 Chilean Military Parade was held at O'Higgins Park in Santiago on 19 September 1997 to commemorate the Day of the Glories of the Army.

Presided over by President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, the military parade involved contingents of the Chilean Armed Forces and Carabineros de Chile.

The ceremony was the final military parade attended by Augusto Pinochet as Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army, before his departure from the post in March 1998.

Background

The parade took place during Pinochet's final year as commander-in-chief of the Army. Contemporary coverage by Agence France-Presse described the 1997 ceremony as his last military parade in that capacity.

The succession of the Army command was settled the following month. On 30 October 1997, the government announced that General Ricardo Izurieta would succeed Pinochet as commander-in-chief after the latter's departure in March 1998.

Frei attended the ceremony together with senior civilian and military authorities. Before the march-past, the traditional chicha en cacho ceremony was held, with Frei, Pinochet and Senate president Sergio Romero participating in the toast.

Parade

The parade followed the traditional sequence of presentations by Chile's military and police institutions. The officer-training academies were followed by contingents representing the Chilean Navy, Chilean Air Force, Carabineros and the Chilean Army.

The Army formed the final institutional component of the march-past. Its presentation included dismounted troops, followed by motorized, mechanized and mounted formations. Carabineros also presented its contingent before Frei and the assembled authorities.

The ceremony concluded after the passage of the Army's mounted formations, with the commanding officer formally reporting the end of the parade to Frei.