Whether Chile is a castizo or a mestizo country has been debated for a long time. However, it has not had a significant black population since the middle of the 17th century, by which point the small number of black slaves brought by the Spaniards had been absorbed into the mestizo underclass. About half of Chile’s population has a 2 – 6 percent black admixture. 

At least, that was true until a few years ago, when mass immigration to Chile started in full force, and blacks started arriving in large numbers from across Latin America, especially, Haiti.

The number of Haitians now estimated to be in Chile is 180,000. While there have been promising signs of resistance against this influx over the last five years — identitarian groups have become much more active and visible and in 2017 Chile elected an immigration-skeptical center-right President — Chile is still blacker today than at any time since independence in 1818.

My Chilean father and grandparents never saw a black face until they arrived in the United States in the 1970s. When I spent time in Chile up until my 20s there were no blacks, and parks, public transportation, etc. were pleasant and safe. That Chile is gone, much like the Britain of John Derbyshire and Peter Brimelow’s childhood. With this newfound diversity have come the typical problems: crime, instability, and urban decay.

Here are glimpses of those changes — not with photos of blacks in the streets of Santiago, but with examples of how multiculturalism and “anti-racism” have seeped into street art, graffiti, and even politics. Unless otherwise noted, I took all these photos when I was in Santiago in 2019.

Poster on the Santiago metro: “The same as her parents / The same happiness, the same energy and the same love”

As the Santiago metro fills with diversity (and fares rise), the government tries to make the best of it.

“Let’s meet the future.”

“Let’s meet our differences.”

Pro-African graffiti on a bridge into the southern city of Concepción.

A street-poster memorializing a mixed-race, Ecuadorian immigrant. “Albert Picuasi / Murdered by the Racist State”

“Ecuadorian street vendor run over by the police on April 4th near the Union Latino America metro stop after months of persecution.”

Historically, the Chilean Left cared deeply about labor rights, the welfare state, and limiting privatization of public services. With the country’s demographic shift, the Left now focuses more on “racism” and the rights of immigrants — a change found across the Western world and well-documented in Paul Gottfried’s The Strange Death of Marxism.

Alberto Picuasi (Credit Image: El Comercio)

Mr. Picuasi did not deserve to die, but he was working as a street vendor without a license — which is illegal. He fled when police tried to arrest him. During the chase, police accidentally ran him over and then rushed him to a hospital.

Murals have always been popular in Chile, and almost uniformly leftist. In the past, they were of heroic factory workers and farmers:

A traditional mural in the northern hamlet of Peralillo.

Today, murals ride the same hobbyhorses as America’s Left:

“I am a female immigrant and I deserve respect.” Note that the accusing hands are white, representing Chile’s elite, while the woman is meant to look like a Peruvian mestizo.

“No more state violence against Mapuche women.” The Mapuche are Chile’s largest Amerindian tribe.

“No to racial violence against women / I have colored skin but I think and feel just as you do. I am woman.”

Chile’s Communist Party has put a banner over this multiracial mural. It reads (roughly), “Go Fuck Yourselves Yankee Shit-Heads, Here You’ll Find a Dignified People.” Note the quotes from American blacks, Angela Davis and Nina Simone.

As Jared Taylor and others have noted, the huge volume of American-produced movies and TV shows that make their way around the world give the impression that racial diversity is a blessing, and that blacks are friendly and cool. This is true in Chile as much as anywhere else. I have met Chileans who say how great it is that Chile now has blacks, as if their presence were a sign of wealth or status. There are other examples like these:

Flyer for a party celebrating Senegalese Independence Day.

A message that comes from the USA by way of a bus-stop ad from Converse: “Being a woman is being human”

On the whole, Chile has been a politically incorrect country — especially when it came to blacks — because there were so few of them. With diversity and its taboos on the march, I doubt that will last much longer.

In Chile, a “cacique” means “Indian chieftain.” The “Cacique Mulato” is a restaurant in the southern city of Puerto Natales.

“More than Arepas.” Arepas are a Venezuelan food that has arrived with immigrants from that country — some of whom have black blood.

Camilo Catrillanca was a Left-wing Mapuche activist killed by police in confused and disputed circumstances in November 2018. The Left has lionized him ever since, and flyers like this are everywhere in Santiago.

“Camilo Catrillanca, 24 year-old Mapuche / Murdered by the Chilean Police’s Jungle Command / Murderous Government Until When?” The “Jungle Command” is a special unit the government sends into Mapuche regions in times of violence and instability.

Another Mapuche activist who died under mysterious circumstances.

Violent protesters fly the Mapuche flag.

Just as in America, the Left has turned against middle- and lower-class voters. They, in turn, have turned to the Right in the hope that it will stop immigration. The derogatory slang for this group is facho pobre, “facho” being short for fascista — in other words, “poor fascists.”

“Suck it, poor fascists.”

“Mommy, plz don’t vote for blondes.” A clear message against whites.

A poster for a multicultural event. Note that it is in both Spanish and an Amerindian language.

Imagery and slogans aping American antifa have been around for decades — but have become much more common in the last few years.

“Fight Fascism”

“No Nationalism No Patriotism / These false values breed only xenophobia, racism and wars / No Flags No Borders”

The flag beneath the crossed-out swastika is an inverted Chilean flag.

There is more than just bad news coming out of Chile, though. America’s Left, mainstream media, and mainstream entertainment are hurting the rest of the world, but America’s Right, identitarian activists, and online troll culture are helping. The battle for Chile’s future can be seen in its street art and graffiti as much as anywhere else, as opposing sides constantly vandalize the other’s material.

This Communist propaganda, which reads “The Revolution is Unstoppable,” has the word “hunger” written into its sickles.

The Pinochet regime dumped the bodies of executed Communists out of helicopters into the Pacific Ocean.

This feminist propaganda originally said, “Respect My Existence Or Expect Resistance” — somebody has scrawled “Tell that to Islam” across it.

Graffiti in support of center-right President Piñera

A flyer demanding justice for Jaime Guzmán. Mr. Guzmán was a right-wing politico who was assassinated by Marxist terrorists in 1991; most of those involved in his murder are still at large.

Here are vandalized posters put up by Acción Identitaria

“Chilean Workers: Forgers of Our Identity”

Another point of light has been President Piñera’s push to deport illegal immigrants, especially Haitians. This policy was largely shaped by Mr. Piñera’s first Minister of the Interior (a role similar to the American Vice-president), Andrés Chadwick — a member of Chile’s small but important Anglo elite.

Andrés Chadwick (Credit Image: FishInWater / Wikimedia)

Mr. Chadwick bragged about the policy on Instagram, and below are screenshots of photos he posted, in case he takes them down. The accompanying text reads, “Today the second plane (carrying 171) Haitian citizens voluntarily participating in the Humanitarian Return Plan, as offered by President Sebastian Piñera, took off.”

Mr. Chadwick quickly became the Left’s favorite target:

“Chadwick Out!!”

“RESIGN.” A protester’s depiction of Andrés Chadwick as a satanic pig (Credit Image: Felipe y Jairo Castilla / Wikimedia)

These repatriation policies, plus increasing Piñera government scrutiny of immigrants are already slowing the demographic change, even though President Piñera submitted to Leftist pressure and forced out Mr. Chadwick in late October. Moreover, since October, Chile has suffered from political violence, complete with periods of martial law and soldiers in the streets. This is of course bad, but it will make prospective immigrants think twice about Chile.

Damage has been done to the country; there is no doubt about that. But I am optimistic that good sense is returning.