Rincón de los canallas

El Rincón de los canallas was a restaurant in Santiago de Chile, founded in 1980 during the military dictatorship by opponents of Augusto Pinochet. It began as a meeting place for friends during the curfew, operating in a small locale on San Diego Street in downtown Santiago. Because it was a clandestine venue, the few customers avoided using their real names for security, preferring to call each other "canallas" (scoundrels). One version says the use of the word "canallas" derived from the name Pinochet called voters of the "No" in the 1980 plebiscite. This meant that the restaurant's customers proudly assumed that nickname and called themselves that when they met there. Taking advantage of opposition radio stations, the "canallas" dictated passwords to enter the restaurant (under the code "canalla calling canalla"), to try to avoid harassment by government agents. Nevertheless, the place suffered attacks, raids, detentions, fines, and was finally closed by the authorities, having to close on December 31, 1983. It was the customers themselves who organized collections to support the owner, Víctor Painemal, for its reopening, with money even arriving from abroad. Thus the restaurant was able to operate again on May 20, 1984. Despite new detentions, raids, and fines, the restaurant managed to survive until the arrival of democracy in 1990. The password to enter was no longer used, and it had to move to its current location at Tarapacá 810. In 2018, the press reported that the building where it operated had been sold to a real estate company, and that its tenant was looking for a new place. However, the restaurant remained at Tarapacá 810, a building now demolished. In November 2019, its owner, Víctor Painemal, died, leaving the place in charge of his children. Months later, on April 8, 2020, a fire almost completely destroyed the first floor of the building. Months later his children managed to reinstall the place on Bascuñán Guerrero Street, but debts and the economic crisis caused by the pandemic and the social unrest severely affected the existence of this emblematic restaurant, leading to its definitive closure. The restaurant specialized in traditional Chilean food. Its walls were profusely and disorderly adorned with written papers among gifts, photographs, paintings, and clocks, creating an overloaded atmosphere. Its large tables reflected the preference for being visited by groups of friends. The music was commonly protest songs. Its waiters treated customers as "canallita" without it obviously meaning anything pejorative.

El Rincón de los canallas was founded in 1980 in Santiago de Chile, during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. It began as a meeting place for friends during the curfew, operating in a locale on San Diego Street in downtown Santiago. Because it was a clandestine venue, the few customers avoided calling each other by their names for security, preferring to address each other as "canallas" (scoundrels). One version says the use of the word "canallas" derived from the name by which Augusto Pinochet called voters of the "No" in the 1980 plebiscite. This meant that the restaurant's customers proudly assumed that nickname and called themselves that when they met there. Taking advantage of opposition radio stations, the "canallas" dictated passwords to enter the restaurant (under the code "canalla calling canalla"), to try to avoid harassment by government agents. Nevertheless, the place suffered attacks, raids, detentions, fines, and was finally closed by the authorities, having to close on December 31, 1983. It was the customers themselves who organized collections to support the owner, Víctor Painemal, for its reopening, with money even arriving from abroad. Thus the restaurant was able to operate again on May 20, 1984. Despite new detentions, raids, and fines, the restaurant managed to survive until the arrival of democracy in 1990. The password to enter was no longer used, and it had to move to its current location at Tarapacá 810. In 2018, the press reported that the building where it operated had been sold to a real estate company, and that its tenant was looking for a new place. However, the restaurant remained at Tarapacá 810, a building now demolished. In November 2019, its owner, Víctor Painemal, died, leaving the place in charge of his children. Months later, on April 8, 2020, a fire almost completely destroyed the first floor of the building. Months later his children managed to reinstall the place on Bascuñán Guerrero Street, but debts and the economic crisis caused by the pandemic and the social unrest severely affected the existence of this emblematic restaurant, leading to its definitive closure.

• 2020

  Fire destroyed first floor on April 8; later relocated and eventually closed.

• 2019

  Founder Víctor Painemal died in November.

• 2018

  Building sold to real estate company; tenant sought new location.

• 1990

  Survived until democracy; moved to Tarapacá 810.

• 1984

  Reopened on May 20 after customer fundraising.

• 1983

  Closed by authorities on December 31.

• 1980

  Founded as a clandestine meeting place during the curfew in Santiago.

A politically symbolic, clandestine restaurant associated with resistance to the Pinochet dictatorship, offering traditional Chilean food in a unique, overloaded atmosphere.

• Traditional Chilean food

  The restaurant specialized in traditional Chilean cuisine.

1. 1Rincón de los canallas - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia librees.wikipedia.org
2. 2Rincón de los canallas - Wikidatawikidata.org