On September 11th 1973,a Democratically elected government in Chile was violently overthrown in a bloody coup which saw it's leader (President Salvador Allende) assassinated and the Presidential Palace bombed by fighter jets. Over the following 17 years a self imposed Dictator,Pinochet,ruled over the country imposing his way of life on the citizens of Chile. During this time thousands of people who opposed his regime were murdered (at home and abroad) or disappeared,and over 1 million people were forced to flee to other countries in fear of their lives. Thankfully since 1990 (when Pinochet was ousted in a Yes/No vote, the first since he had forced his way into power),the people of Chile have been slowly rebuilding their lives and their democracy. In the years after the Bloody coup,many people in Britain worked towards helping those affected by this atrocity especially the political prisoners,many of whom were victims of torture. One of the groups of British people who helped the most were the Miners and their families through the means of the NUM. As a result of this help many of the political prisoner were 'allowed' to leave the country with the condition they didn't return or else. Many of the prisoners came to Britain and in particular South Yorkshire as there was a feeling of Solidarity with the people of that region. As the years went by people settled down had families and carried on with their Anglo-Chilean lives. In the eighties when the big Miners Demos were taking place, the Chileans supported the miners in which ever way they could,as in their time of need it had been the miners who had come to their aid. It is now coming up to 32 years since the Coup in '73 and many of the Chileans who arrived in Yorkshire have either returned to Chile,died or moved on. But their still remains a significant presence in Britain. All these Chileans have kids who were born or grew up and some even have English grand kids. People have come and gone in that time,but one thing has remained constant throughout their time - the memories and the fact they must not allow themselves or others to forget what happened. The way this manifests itself is that every year a small group of people (Chilean, English and other backgrounds) commemorate the events of 9/11 1973 by holding a vigil for those who died, disappeared or were exiled. Subnote: The events of 9/11/73 were funded by the American government of Richard Nixon (something that was revealed in the declassified American Government documents) http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/South_America/Chile_9_11_73.html Very interesting to say the least!!