‘With a Little Help from My Friends’

This article explores the political interaction that took place during the 1970s and 1980s between Chilean refugees and the local solidarity movement in the Netherlands. The analysis of the Dutch political context during the 1970s facilitates an understanding of the positive reception of Dutch society to Chilean refugees and the long-lasting impact that the Chilean case had on Dutch politics. The article also asserts that though Dutch solidarity was essential for maintaining international attention in denouncing the Pinochet regime, the international dimension for redemocratization began when the Chilean community in exile organized itself according to democratic principles. In this sense, the article places the foundation of the Institute for a New Chile as the main contribution of the Netherlands to the democratic transition in Chile, since in the space provided by the Institute, Chilean refugees could debate and spread the ideas of ‘Renovation’, in an atmosphere of political tolerance. This ultimately contributed to the unification of a democratic opposition in exile and the decision to defeat the Pinochet regime through democratic means.