Urban struggles in Chile in the last third of the 20th century

This article traces mobilizations by Chilean urban poor, los pobladores, from the 1960s when they expanded their organizing capabilities and demands on the state through the 1980s, when they formed a significant resistance movement to the military dictatorship. Across different periods, pobladores mobilized not only to improve the living conditions of the poor, but also to promote the democratization of Chilean society. While scholarship has traditionally focused attention on state conflict, this article emphasizes the important role civil society has played in Chile's recent history.