and after a while, i had to get out also, because i lived in fear, i was very afraid, and i didn t i just couldn t stand it any longer. at the time, the beginning of the coup was a surprise for everybody because chile was the longest and most solid democracy in latin america, and in 2a hours, everything changed. can you imagine? all of a sudden, in 2a hours, there s no more congress, no more there s censorship for everything, there is nojudicial independentjudiciary. everything is controlled, everything especially the poor, the intellectuals, the journalists, leaders of any kind student leaders, working leaders and a sense that you could be arrested any moment and disappear.
butjust tell us how what was it like living through such a repressive time? because it s clearly influenced your thinking and the way you write. well, i didn t stay for very long. i was there for the coup and i was the only member of my family that remained in chile. my parents, my brothers everybody had to leave or were already out. and after a while, i had to get out also, because i lived in fear, i was very afraid, and i didn t i just couldn t stand it any longer. at the time, the beginning of the coup was a surprise for everybody because chile was the longest and most solid democracy in latin america, and in 2a hours, everything changed. can you imagine? all of a sudden, in 2a hours, there s no more congress, no more there s censorship for everything, there is nojudicial independentjudiciary. everything is controlled, everything especially the poor, the intellectuals, the journalists, leaders of any kind student leaders,
of the coup was a surprise for everybody because chile was the longest and most solid democracy in latin america, and in 2a hours, everything changed. can you imagine? all of a sudden, in 2a hours, there s no more congress, no more there s censorship for everything, there is nojudicial independentjudiciary. everything is controlled, everything especially the poor, the intellectuals, thejournalists, leaders of any kind student leaders, working leaders and a sense that you could be arrested any moment and disappear. there was no habeas corpus, which means that they would not be forced to release you after a certain time. you would just disappear. and then they would say they never took you or they never arrested you. and that s, i think, the most horrible thing that can happen to a family, to the ones