The Llama de la Libertad or Llama Eterna de la Libertad (lit. "Flame of Liberty" or "Eternal Flame of Liberty") was a ceremonial flame located in Plaza Bulnes in

Santiago, Chile Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

. It was lit on September 11, 1975 by

Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was the dictator of Military dictatorship of Chile, Chile from 1973 to 1990. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader ...

to commemorate the

1973 Chilean coup d'etat Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

against the

presidency of Salvador Allende Salvador Allende was the president of Chile from 1970 until Death of Salvador Allende, his suicide in 1973, and head of the Popular Unity (Chile), Popular Unity government; he was a Socialist Party of Chile, Socialist and the first Marxism, Mar ...

. The Llama de la Libertad was part of a larger monument called Altar de la Patria (lit. "Altar of the Fatherland") and was a symbol of the military dictatorship that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990.

Extinguishing

In 2003 the government announced through minister Francisco Vidal that the presidency would cease funding the flame due to budget cuts. In response to this the Mayor of Providencia, Cristián Labbé, said his commune would fund the flame, but this proposal was superseded days later when Minister

Michelle Bachelet Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the presidency. She was re-elected in December ...

announced the

Ministry of National Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divide ...

would fund the flame. On October 18 of 2004 the flame was finally extinguished due to the works done on the new Barrio Cívico, itself a commemoration of the upcoming

Bicentennial of Chile The Bicentennial of Chile () took place on September 18, 2010. The celebration commemorates the beginning of the Independence process in Chile, with the first Government Junta of Chile on September 18, 1810, and Chile's becoming a free and inde ...

. A similar flame in

Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (, historically known as Sandy Point in English) is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Chile's southernmost Regions of Chile, region, Magallanes Region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. Although officially renamed as ...

, also lit by Pinochet, was extinguished in 2013.Punta Arenas apaga la última Llama de la Libertad que ardía durante todo el año
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References

{{coord, 33.4454, S, 70.6533, W, source:wikidata, display=title 1975 establishments in Chile 2004 disestablishments in Chile Eternal flames Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990) Monuments and memorials in Santiago, Chile