J. Patrice McSherry is a political scientist and professor emeritus of Long Island University, currently collaborating with the Institute of Advanced Studies (IDEA) of the University of Santiago, Chile. Her most recent book is book is Chilean New Song: The Political Power of Music, 1960s-1973 (2015).
The Left is racking up victory after victory in Chile. Now, Chileans have the chance to clear away the last remnants of Pinochet’s authoritarian, neoliberal rule by writing a new, democratic constitution.
Chile’s massive, ongoing uprising is drawing its anthems from the songs and artists of the Allende years — particularly Víctor Jara, the legendary folk singer and martyr killed in the 1973 coup.