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[[File:Logo Sí & No Pinochet Plebiscite 1988.png|thumbnail|''Sí'' and ''No'' Options logo.]]
[[File:Logo Sí & No Pinochet Plebiscite 1988.png|thumbnail|''Sí'' and ''No'' Options logo.]]
On February 2, 1988, Patricio Aylwin joint with other leaders created the Concertation of Parties for the No (Concertación de Partidos por el No), being its spokesman. The objective of this new political space was to organize the No campaign for the plebiscite to be held in October.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fundacionaylwin.cl/legado-de-un-republicano-centenario-de-patricio-aylwin/|title=CENTENARIO DE PATRICIO AYLWIN|publisher=Patricio Aylwin Foundation|language=es}}</ref>
On February 2, 1988, Patricio Aylwin joint with other leaders created the Concertation of Parties for the No (Concertación de Partidos por el No), being its spokesman. The objective of this new political space was to organize the No campaign for the plebiscite to be held in October.<ref name=Centenario>{{cite web|url=https://fundacionaylwin.cl/legado-de-un-republicano-centenario-de-patricio-aylwin/|title=CENTENARIO DE PATRICIO AYLWIN|publisher=Patricio Aylwin Foundation|language=es}}</ref>
On October 5, 1988, the "No" option, which obtained 54.7% of the votes won, against 43% for the "Yes" option. As the country prepared for its first free presidential and legislative elections since 1973, Command for No—renamed the Coalition of Parties for Democracy (Concertación de los Partidos por la Democracia; CPD)—and the government negotiated constitutional amendments that were approved in a national referendum in July 1989, among them the revocation of Article Eight, which banned Marxist parties. Two months later the leftist Chileans living abroad returned to the country. Presidential elections were held on December 11, 1989.
On October 5, 1988, the "No" option, which obtained 54.7% of the votes won, against 43% for the "Yes" option. As the country prepared for its first free presidential and legislative elections since 1973, Command for No—renamed the Coalition of Parties for Democracy (Concertación de los Partidos por la Democracia; CPD)—and the government negotiated constitutional amendments that were approved in a national referendum in July 1989, among them the revocation of Article Eight, which banned Marxist parties. Two months later the leftist Chileans living abroad returned to the country. Presidential elections were held on December 11, 1989.
At the end of his term, former President Aylwin, in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde, reproduced by the Santiago newspaper El Mercurio on April 30, 1994, praised the figure of Augusto Pinochet as a sort of guarantor of the transition: "If Pinochet had not been there during the transition, we would have had in Chile attempts of insurrection carried out by subordinates, "painted faces" as was the case in Argentina".
At the end of his term, former President Aylwin, in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde, reproduced by the Santiago newspaper El Mercurio on April 30, 1994, praised the figure of Augusto Pinochet as a sort of guarantor of the transition: "If Pinochet had not been there during the transition, we would have had in Chile attempts of insurrection carried out by subordinates, "painted faces" as was the case in Argentina".
Later, in Japan, he declared that "during my government, General Pinochet fulfilled the task of Commander-in-Chief of the Army, subordinate to the President and respectful of the constitutional order".<ref>La Época, July 9, 1994><ref name=GobMilitar/>
Later, in Japan, he declared that "during my government, General Pinochet fulfilled the task of Commander-in-Chief of the Army, subordinate to the President and respectful of the constitutional order".<ref>La Época, July 9, 1994></ref><ref name=GobMilitar/>
The same year he also stated "What I have said and continue to believe is that Pinochet did not try to co-govern since I assumed the Presidency. He told me: 'As a military man, I know how to command and obey. Now you are the President and I obey you. We had disagreements, naturally, but in short, he never tried to intervene in the orientation of my government's policy, he never disobeyed. The image of General Pinochet with which I left the Presidency, of his conduct during my government, is not the one I could have feared when I took office".
The same year he also stated "What I have said and continue to believe is that Pinochet did not try to co-govern since I assumed the Presidency. He told me: 'As a military man, I know how to command and obey. Now you are the President and I obey you. We had disagreements, naturally, but in short, he never tried to intervene in the orientation of my government's policy, he never disobeyed. The image of General Pinochet with which I left the Presidency, of his conduct during my government, is not the one I could have feared when I took office".
During Aylwin's government, the territorial disputes with Argentina were treated differently, the Concertación wanted to solve the issues diplomatically, even if this meant to renounce to historic territorial claims. Aylwin met with Argentine President Carlos Menem in 1991 and they reached an agreement on the Southern Patagonian Ice Fields that wasn't ratified by the Congresses of both countries. However in 1994, the territory known as ''Laguna del Desierto'', disputed since 1965, was submitted to arbitration with Latin American judges. The judges in 3 to 2 favored Argentina and Chile lost the dispute because of the approachment of the government.
During Aylwin's government, the territorial disputes with Argentina were treated differently, the Concertación wanted to solve the issues diplomatically, even if this meant to renounce to historic territorial claims. Aylwin met with Argentine President Carlos Menem in 1991 and they reached an agreement on the Southern Patagonian Ice Fields that wasn't ratified by the Congresses of both countries. However in 1994, the territory known as ''Laguna del Desierto'', disputed since 1965, was submitted to arbitration with Latin American judges. The judges in 3 to 2 favored Argentina and Chile lost the dispute because of the approachment of the government.
===1993 Election===
Since Chile's 1980 Constitution doesn't allow consecutive reelection, the [[Concertación]] supported [[Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle]] (son of Frei Montalva) as the center-left candidate, he won with 57.98 % of the votes against Arturo Alessandri Besa from the [[Independent Democratic Union]] who got 24.41 %, former Pinochet's Minister and [[José Piñera]] who got 6.18 %.
Thus, the Concertación Governments continued and Frei Ruiz-Tagle was inaugurated on March 11, 1994.
==Postpresidency==
After the end of his administration, Aylwin continued his active public life. In 1994, he created the "Justice and Democracy Corporation", which sought to promote youth training programs, as well as to provide professional advice and research assistance related to the country's problems. He also played an important role on international affairs, as he was elected to chair the Latin American and Caribbean Commission on Social Development and participated in [[United Nations]] organizations.
Among the activities carried out there was the writing of an unpublished book, whose writing began in 1974, on the political responsibilities in the thousand days of Salvador Allende's government, which contains relevant documents and historical passages. He also wrote the book published in 1998 "El Reencuentro de los demócratas" and several chapters of an unpublished book that covers and analyzes his years as spokesman of the [[Concertación|Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia]], being presidential candidate and [[President of Chile]].
In 2001 he was appointed by President [[Ricardo Lagos]] to head the "Historical Truth and New Deal with Indigenous Peoples" Commission. In July of that year, he temporarily assumed the presidency of the Christian Democrats. In January 2002, he announced his farewell to public activity, however, he always attended the acts and events to which he was invited, as long as his health allowed him to do so.
He was recognized and named doctor honoris causa by national and international universities, such as the University of [[Concepción, Chile|Concepción]], Georgetown, Notre Dame and La Sorbonne. He was also distinguished with the J. William Fulbright Award for International Understanding for his role in transition to democracy.
The last years of Patricio Aylwin's life were spent peacefully with his family. It was common to see him walking around his neighborhood, attending mass and spending time with his friends. He passed away on April 19, 2016 and was bid farewell by citizens and the political world with a state funeral.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fundacionaylwin.cl/actividades-como-ex-presidente-de-la-republica/|title=ACTIVIDADES COMO EX PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA|language=es|publisher=Patricio Aylwin Foundation}}</ref><ref name=Centenario/>
==References==
==References==