On September 11, 1973, Chile was the scene of an event that would mark the country’s history: the coup d’état that overthrew President Salvador Allende and ended years of Popular Unity government. This dark day will be forever etched in the collective Chilean memory and in the work of Dutch photographer Chas Gerretsen.
Chas Gerretsen had been stationed in Chile for eight months before the coup. Working for the French agency Gamma, he made a habit of documenting the growing tensions between the Allende government and conservative sectors of the army. He knew something was up, but nothing could predict the magnitude of the events that would unfold that day.
On September 11, a phone call from his French colleague, Sylvain Julienne, woke him up with a start. La Moneda, the presidential palace in Santiago, was surrounded by armed forces. Chas Gerretsen decides to go there, armed with his camera. What he captured that day will forever be remembered in history.
Arriving in front of La Moneda, he saw President Allende on the balcony, greeting students. But suddenly everything changes. The tanks move into position, shots ring out, La Moneda is attacked. Chas Gerretsen finds himself in the middle of the violence, machine-gunning the scenes that unfold before his eyes, capturing the horror and tragedy of this moment.
But this is only the beginning. In the days that follow, Chas Gerretsen will continue to document the dictatorship taking hold in Chile. The arrests, the book burnings, the corpses littering the streets… Nothing escapes him. Its objective is transformed into a weapon of denunciation, a visual testimony of the oppression which now reigns in the country.
And then there’s this iconic photo. On September 18, during a Te Deum organized at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago, Chas Gerretsen produced a close portrait of General Augusto Pinochet, the new strongman of Chile. Through his dark glasses, Pinochet stares at the lens, letting all his power and authority shine through. This image will become a symbol of dictatorship, used by demonstrators to denounce the oppressive regime.
Today, Chas Gerretsen, aged 80, looks back on this period in a book which brings together his photos taken in Chile in 1972 and 1973. His photos are exhibited in Santiago, reminding Chileans of the horrors of the past and the importance of never forget.
Chas Gerretsen’s work is proof of the power of photography as a tool for documentation and denunciation. His images are a reflection of a dark era in Chile’s history, but also a reminder of the resilience of the Chilean people in the face of oppression. They remind us of the importance of freedom of expression and the need to remain vigilant to preserve our fundamental rights.
Finally, they show us the essential role of photojournalists in preserving collective memory and in the fight for justice and truth. As we live in a world where visual information is increasingly omnipresent, it is crucial to recognize and support the work of these professionals who risk their lives to show us reality as it is.
Chas Gerretsen’s work is a reminder of our responsibility as citizens to stay informed, never forget the past, and commit to a fairer and freer future.