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5-31-2005
Reform, Revolution and Repression: The Rise and Fall of Salvador Allende
Sam Summers
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Reform, Revolution and Repression The rise and fall of Salvador Allonde Sarn 3"",',*"*"'
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Sam Sumers Rector Hgt 352 20 !,[ay 2005 Chile: Re,forn, Revolution and Repression
At the end ofthe 1950's Chile startd a series ofgovunment neforms, both conserrrative
and liberat. Ttrcse reforms would lead to the eloction of Salvador Allende in 1970. Allende was
the onty Socialis intatin Amsricato be elected to office in a region dominated by political
uptreaval and military ooups. In S€ptombcr 1973 thfr, governmemt was overthnown by a military
coup. Thou$ the coup may have bc€n financed by the Unitod Stdes, the coup led in an e,ra of
violence and dictatorship that was as inhurnane as aoy seen in the world.
In 1958 a coalition ofrigh wing-parties elected lorge Alessandri presidmtr, barely ahcad
of Salvador Allsds. The only way the right wing parties could get their candidate elected was by
forming coalitions among$ thcrnselves so that all thesc parties srpporting the same candidate. In
the ner6 several dections the left and the right triod to convince the middle to aid their candidate
to g€t dectsd. This ted to a sability of sorts in the Chilean democracy; q/h€re no one party
coutrolld the governmem. Thoug[ it was stable, the goverment was in a position ripe for
disaster.
After the term of Alossandri, the Christian Democrats got their candidate, Eduardo Frei,
elected. Thotrdr he was dectd with 56 p€rceot ofthe vote, that runber was misleading3. He was
only elected with a coalition oftb right and radicals together. The two factions f€ud ttte
dection ofthe Socrali$ candidate, Salvador Allerde.
Under Frei reforms in the governmem b€gao to take place; alorry with the education
re,fonns, rural devdopmem, ograrian re,forms, and othem inchdittg the copper indusmt', which lRodm "Ifismy dChib' pg; r55
xilor Tlietory of Chile" pg. 163
3Rcc[or "History of Chilc'pg. 164 was owilod by ttrc Kennecott and fuiaponda corporations. Chile bough share of each ofthe
mines in Chile fro,m thesc corporations. Though the govenuneirt only borght shares of each mine
this was soen as th "Chileoization' of Chile's copper hdu$ry.
Then in 1970 a coalition ofthe Communists, Radicals, Socialists and le,ftists threw their
support behind one candidatg Salvador Allendea. In this election Altende d€foateq to the shock
ofboth Chiteans and the itrernational commuoity, former president Iorge Alessandd and
Radomiro Tomic. Alessandri was backed by the National Party and the indopendents, while
Tomic ran under the Chistian Democratst. This electioo, Allendds third time running was very
close. Allende won by only 39,000 votes out of 3,000,0006. Ttis has gven cause to the seyrng
that Allmde did not win the election by a m{ority so he wa$ not 'democratical$ elected.
Whcn there is no clear winner by rnajority the Chilean constitution required that the
congress docide tho victor. Durfury the d$ues Allqde threatenod to we the wortss, wlro
backed him, to shrt doumthe corntry. And though Alessandri did werything inhis powerto
block Allende aod his risc to power, the ChristianDemocrats in congress thew their support to
the front rmning candidate, Allende. ltrrhen it became clear that Allendewould wiq the Christian
Democrat candidate, Tonric, congratulated the new president on his victory.
It is here that the U.S. begao to take a more active role in Chilean politics. When it
became clear to Alessandri that Allende would raise to the presidenry, he called upon all
'Democmtic forces to unirc and block Allende. The U.S. began to discuss ways that would be
feasible to blo* the nem,ly elected president &om takiag ofrce. In late 1970 Presidert Nxon and
his Ncional Soqrity Advisor, Henry Ki$ftge/, decided that an eoommic'wa/ must be waged nRoctor Ttrstmy d Chile' pg. l?0 hoc[or Tli$my of Chile' pg. l7 l koctor Tfsry of Chile' pg" l?1
.-ortrbtuh',Chile 9lllfl3' pg. I on Chilo in orderto ruinthe Sociatist leader, Nxon ordered Kisingoto make the Chilean
oconomy "Sctr€m."t
In the nenrt few yeara 6 million dollars would be funneled, by the U.S., to the opposition's
press and parties.'Th€y theo ried, but friled, to block Chile from restruchrring it's foreign debt.
Washingonthen reduced its aid to Chile and then advked irfernational finaocial institutions to
re&rce the lending to Chile.r0 Allendc respondd to thes€ actions loy a complete takeover of the
copper mines. TtE Anacoda and Kennecott askd to be reimbursed, after the debts ofboth
companies, past and then presen! were calculatod by economists hired fromFrance and the
Soviet Union.u It was daernrined that Chile did not owe the copper companies aily mon€y, but in
frct that those companies owe Chile over 300 million dollars.r2
These Copper corryanies, not satisfied by ttrese findirys, would tie up the Chilean oryort
activities in international courts forycars to comg thus blocking an important part of Chile's
€rport rerrcfirres. In addition to this Allende followed througb on his carrpaign promise to workers
to raise wages by a 35 to 40 percent.rs This raise in wages caused a Rush by the Chilcans to hry
whdei'er tlrey cqrld get tbir haads on and by 1973 th corntry was flotrdering in d*t ad
mired in inflation. This set the soene for the doumfall of Allende.
In 1970 be,fore Allonde actuelly took the office of president, thc head ofthe Chilean anned
force$, Ren6 Schneiderwas assassinated. The details ofthis act af,e skactry even afterthe
dedasdficdion of &c CIA's files concerning Chite by tte Clinton administrdion in 2000.11 From sxsolut rhih, 9llw3' g" I hrysrr "rueqg the Chitean Cop' p& 2, Sigrumd'The Overthow of Alld' pg. 156 lkogcrs "Fheing the Chilean Cury" pg" 2 liSigmmd'The Overthrcrv of Allende' pg. 153 xzS$umud'Ib orrerthlw of Alld" pg; I54
*The Ector Hfutory of Chile' Pg. 173 l{I(ornHnh Apening rry the Files: Chite Doclassified" pg 5 what we know, on tlro morniry of 22 October 1970 the general was shot rl/t€o, during a
kidnapping att€mpt, he drew his rwolv€r on eight attacke,rs. Whd is unclcar is weather or not the
CIA was involvd in asy way in this act. Seoate Select Comnittoe irwestig$ors were told that the
relwant documents abqrt the assas$ination were missing fromDOD fileg.tt
The significanoo of General Schneideds doath was far reaching. The general had opposod
ary military coup in the Chilmn goveflrrrcot. He was a $out cortstitutionalist who wts a mqior
obsacte to thoso wi[iog to comurit violert afts to overtlrow Allende. In the wake of his
assassfuEtion G€ooffil Carlos Prds, became head ofthe armed forces. In Argust of 1973, in
resporue to the economic cdsis, sfikeg by workerq and a fail€d cory atteopt by officers under
his comman(r" Creneral Prats $$mitt€d his resiguation.
From there Geueral Atrgusto Pinoclret rose to take command ofthe armod forces. fu first
Pinochet seemo{ to the arry officers involved in plaming the coup, to be opposod to the plot.l7
Ihere was d€bate amongs the officors about Pinochefs tnrstworthiness, after all hc had been
appoioted by Allemde himsof.rt It was only wtren Pinocha himsolf approached the conspirators
about a military im€n€otioq if nooessary, did they b€gin to beliwe he was tnrstworthy." Then 36
hours before tho coup wEs to begiq Pinochet's involveinent was sealed when he signed a paper
lusigmd *flre Orrcrthow of All€nde' pgr l2l-123 lq9erfugp ttili, Pinocna ud the Canrrnao dDed' pg. 2, Cory wa calbd tb 'Tanquetam'ory borcdtteti'rk*udinthe demil.
1?Ver&rngp c(hih, Pinffi md th Cararan dDedh' pg 3
rChig "Ver,&mp Pitrochet and the Carnan of Dedh'pg. 3 lYerfugp rChib, Plnodct md the Caravrn dDeath' pg; 3, A r[b wing oppmm dAlbndc, foderio Wilhgltby lvfaodonrkn, gilrc the ftlhing @mdim re to ufty ee omryirUmg docidod to tmst PinochEt 'Ttsrc is m aryect dGeneral Pino&et thd oU ndrc hin appoar tobea trdlor, in the somse thd he is a mmufro quictty chsnges&,om oepoeitim O mottcr. tvtyerylanatioq gft,Eo tfrd I ttrorv, is tM ho is 100 perocd a militrry lrm, a man vfto wut into tre urry u&Go b $Es 15. IUs bm in tb instihtim almo* 60 yer6, aod hcbdtoittyinfreurytoadrrcandbeprmmod.Ilemr$ooqllywiththccurrcilsdftetimco' Ottmingprevaitingqlfuims, eanse a pe$m lyb docsdt opcfrxt€ tbm ulay is ot, erryefl€d ty the sltfrem- mereerc, if ifs uooesory to be a Cstolic, he is a Cdolic; it's mwry to be a tvhm", h is a ldry if it is reoessry to salufie tb pditir:irc, hc sehes &e pdfticete if ifs Fild Castm, he saluEsFiddCffio.' agfeeing to the coup.2o
Early on September ll,1973 the Chilean Aflrd forces rnarchd on the capital and
assumed cortrol. Allende was offered a plane to Europe2r but hc r€fusd. Then l*er that day the
Air Force bosbed the national palace and Allende ended up dead. Rumors abotrt the CIA
involverrem in the coup began then and there. Some people believed th* is was U.S. operatives
that flew the planes thd bombd the Palace, oth€rs believe that the CIA ensinecred the plot
complaely and the Chilean miliry lmders were just along for the ride.
What we do know is that the U.S., under Presidsil Nxorl waged an oconomic war otr
Chite in an effort to destabilize the country and emd Socialist nrle. Some 6 million U.S. dollars was
sp€nt, by order ofHenry K*ing*, fuding the peaceful opposition to Allende's rule; nswspapsrg
and politicat parties roceived support. This was done despite Alleode's desire to mair[ain good
reldions with the United States.22 From this economic war, Chile's oconomy qurckb spiraled out
of coatrol. Ih catrses were not all the Unitd States' frult thougfu poor economic practices by
Alleirde himself caused inflation to risc. Also the Chilean copper industry was ground to a halt due
to the government's re,firsal to pay repamtions to thc Anaconda and Kennwott companies. By
1973 the situation was one of sfike and strife in Chile. What happeood trsrc is the only diryted
point. Weather or not the United Stacs fimded Ptnochet or not is unclear; ttre only thing that is
ccrtain is ttur the United States stood idly by for the nerfi 17 years while pinochet presided over
ao oppressive gov€rnment. Thousands of Chileans were killed and mrttiple Americaos
disappeared.'Human rights violations by a goverrmeot, zupported by U.S. policies, ufrich only
came to ligh reccdly, hioging imo quesioa all thc U.S.'s actioos in recem tim in mtions zuch zoVerdungp ttila, Pinochct and the Caravan 0f Dedh'pg. 6
21Roctor, The Hfutory dChile' pg. 182 22Sigmud'6s Orrcrthrow of All*' pg" l2E
Kom$luh "Chile, I I lln3' as PanamA Somalia" I&rwait, and kaq. Ifwe are to assume the role ofworld prot*tor than we must enforce the same standads in wery case. Bbliogrehy- Kornbluctu Peter, 2003 Opening up the Files: Chile Declassified NACIAI Report on tlre Americos Issue I Vol. 37
Kornbtrch, Peter, 2003 Chile 9lllt73 NotionYol.2TT Iszue 9
PetraS Iry 1996 Allde: Rdwaff Tod{Y Cmdim Dimension Y ol. 32 Isstre 5
Rogem, William D., 2004 tr€eing the Chilan Cotrp Foreign Affatrs Vol. 83 Iszue 1
John L. Rector, TTu Hisory otChile. Comecticut: Cireenwood Press 2003
PrutE. Sigmnn{ TlleOwrtbwofAllende. Pitt$urgh: UniversityofPittsburgbPress 1977
Pardcia Ver&go, Chile, Piwcbt qdtlp Cs*wr olDedt Mami: NortbSorrth CemerPress 2001