We were a democratic nation with long republican tradition. On 1970 (cold war, remeber?) we elect a socialist president, back up by all left parties.
USA give lots of money to right wingys so they could destitute the president, in 1973 militars forces attack the house of goverment, Pinochet (a gorilla)reach power for 19 years! - they use the same estrategy in all latinamerica, with the result of two lost decades of dictatorships, no civil rights, and well all our lifes screw up.
That is, in brief what happend our own 9/11.