Heine Reflects on Kissinger’s Impact on Chilean History
In his poignant reflection on Henry Kissinger’s role in Chile, Ambassador Jorge Heine, Research Professor at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future reflects on the enduring consequences of geopolitical interventions.
In an article authored by Heine, published in The Conversation, he recounts personal experiences as the Chilean ambassador during Kissinger’s era, highlighting the orchestrated efforts to undermine President Salvador Allende and support Gen. Pinochet’s regime. Central to the narrative is Kissinger’s involvement in Operation Condor, contributing to widespread human rights abuses. Heine critically examines Kissinger’s 19th-century European worldview, emphasizing its detrimental impact on developing nations like Chile.
Heine remarks,
“A man has died whose historical brilliance never managed to conceal his profound moral misery.”
As Chile faces a pivotal referendum, Heine suggests that, irrespective of the outcome, the nation bears lasting scars from Kissinger’s influence, symbolizing the dark chapter that shaped its political and economic trajectory.
The full article is available to read in The Conversation.
Ambassador Jorge Heine is a Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He has served as ambassador of Chile to China (2014-2017), to India (2003-2007), and to South Africa (1994-1999), and as a Cabinet Minister in the Chilean Government. Read more about Ambassador Heine on his faculty profile.