The “Chicago Boys” Intellectual Transfer: a Gramscian Interpretation

Abstract

In September 11, 1973, the democratically elected socialist president Salvador Allende died in a confrontation with the army, led by General Augusto Pinochet. After the coup, a great shift in social and economic policies occurred, dismantling all the measures taken by the popular government and by its moderate antecessors as well. Recognizing the Chicago Boys as the organic intellectuals of neoliberalism in Chile, we describe how they were a key element to transform Chilean society in the attempt to form a Historical Block after Salvador Allende’s overthrown. This Gramscian perspective allows us to consider not only the ideological, but also the role of class struggle.