Anti-Chilean sentiment

An Example of recent expressions of Bolivian irredentism over territorial losses in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). In the mural it is written; "What once was ours, will be ours once again", and "Hold fast rotos (Chileans), for here come the Colorados of Bolivia"

Anti-Chilean sentiment refers to the historical and current resentment towards Chile, Chileans, or Chilean culture. Anti-Chilean sentiment is most prevalent among Chile's neighbors; Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.

Despite no war erupting between the two nations, there have been elements of anti-chilean sentiment in Argentina in the past and to the present. Anti-Chilean sentiment in Argentina can be blamed on the historical and ongoing border disputes in the Patagonia region. In addition the events that occurred during the Beagle conflict in 1970's resulted in many Anti-Chilean speeches and rhetoric in the Argentine media. Another source of resentment are the substantiated accounts that Chile aided Britain during their Falklands war victory over Argentina. During the 1990's Chile's involvement in the Falklands war was only a source of speculation however it was highlighted in the Argentine tabloids when Margaret Thatcher visited Augusto Pinochet during his home detention in London in the late 1990's. Chile's involvement in the war unraveled when Margaret Thatcher personally acknowledged Pinochet for helping Britain win the war.

In Bolivia anti-Chilean sentment is fueled by Bolivian claims for territory in the Pacific coast. A common political discourse attributes, at least partly, Bolivia's underdevelopment to its loss of seaports in the War of the Pacific becoming thus a landlocked country. In Peru, a strong anti-Chilean sentiment exists due to losing "a large chunk of its southern territory to Chile" in the War of the Pacific. Peru lost its provinces of Tarapaca and Arica, while Boliva lost its Litoral Department and its outlet to the Pacific Ocean. Currently Chile's huge copper vein in the atacama desert is held in the lands claimed by Bolivia.

In Peru and Bolivia the word roto (literally "tattered") is used to refer disdainfully to Chileans.^{[citation needed]} In Argentina the word Chilote is the degrading term for Chileans, instead of Chileno which is the correct word for Chilean. Normally a Chilote is an inhabitant of the Archipelago of Chiloé (part of Chile) but in Argentina the word has been picked up to describe any Chilean.

Outside of South America, and during the California Gold Rush Chileans experienced a high degree of Anti-Chilean sentiment by American miners. Chilean businesses and mine workers would usually be harassed and at times violently attacked.

Anti-Chilean discourses

Beagle Conflict

Argentine General Luciano Benjamin Menendez was a leading advocate for war during the 1978 Beagle conflict, and was known for his aggressive and vulgar discourse against Chileans: «Si nos dejan atacar a los chilotes, los corremos hasta la isla de Pascua, el brindis de fin de año lo hacemos en el Palacio La Moneda y después iremos a mear el champagne en el Pacífico»(Translation: «If they let us attack the Chileans, we'll chase them to Easter Island, we'll drink the New Year's Eve toast in the Palacio de La Moneda, and then we'll piss the champagne into the Pacific»).

Anti-Chilean terminology

Chilote

In Argentina the word Chilote is the degrading term for Chileans, instead of Chileno which is the correct word for Chilean. Normally a Chilote is an inhabitant of the Archipelago of Chiloé but in Argentina the word has been picked up to describe any Chilean. It is used to label his "coastal condition".

Roto

Main article: Roto

The term was first applied to Spanish conquerors in Chile, who were badly dressed and preferred military strength over intellect. Chilenos Roto later applied to "broken and impoverished" lower classes (generally peasants). The term was first applied to Chileans during the War of the Confederation; specifically, Chilean soldiers received the name from Peruvian soldiers. The term later became used by Chileans themselves in praise of the conscript soldiers of the Pacific War era, to indicate determination despite adversity. In Chile, roto also became a term of nationalist rhetoric, sexism, and racial superiority at that time.

In modern usage, roto is an extremely offensive term used to disparage the ill-mannered or those who the speaker wishes to associate with the ill-mannered.