THE WORLD

CHILE/COVER STORY The Bloody End of a Marxist Dream For two terrible days last week, the cap- ital of turned into a bloody bat- tleground. Planes roared in almost at rooftop level, firing rockets and sowing bombs. Tanks rumbled through the streets, tearing holes in walls with shells from their cannon. Infantrymen popped up in doorways, and the sound of their fire reverberated through the city. The principal target, the , disappeared behind a veil of smoke and flames. Inside, Chile's Marxist President Gossens, 65, died in his office as a military junta took over his country. After his inauguration three years ago. Allende had stood on the small bal- cony outside his office in the palace to launch a great experiment While thou- sands of his supporters cheered in the plaza below, he announced a unique tm- dertaki ng: he intended to lead Chile along a democratic road to socialism. Last week the balcony still stood, al- though the palace was a smoldering ruin. So was Allende's Marxist vision for his country Week after week, as a succession of bitter strikes plunged Chile toward eco- nomic chaos, rumors had circulated in that the country was on the PRESIDENTIAL PALACE BURIONE AFTER ATTACKS SY JETS verge of a military coup. Even so, many .5

Chileans dismissed the stories. True, conclude that revolution is a surer route [11

Chile had large and well-trained armed to power than the ballot box. The U.S A1

forces. But unlike the colonels of neigh- was embarrassed by the coup—though VI, boring and the generals of , Washington insisted that it had taken CIO ORN

Chile's officers had by and large a non- no part. Anti-imperialists everywhere H political tradition. immediately assumed that Washington Instant Martyr. Chileans who was behind his downfall. At week's end thought that their country was somehow the U.S. had made no move to recog- immune from military takeovers were nize the new government, but most ob- wrong. Moreover, the coup that ended servers expected an improvement in Allende's experiment in socialism relations. The change of Chilean proved to be extraordinarily violent governments might also affect U.S. cor- even by Latin American standards. In porations; their sizable holdings had the flurry of fighting that accompanied been taken over by Allende. but they the golpe (coup) and in the two days of now might at least be reimbursed for chaos that followed, several thousand what they had lost by a more sympa- people were killed or injured. The mil- thetic government. itary claimed that Allende had killed The coup was carefully planned and himself rather than surrender. Allende's meticulously executed, reported TuviE supporters insisted that he had been Correspondent Charles Eisendrath, who murdered. In a sense, the manner of his watched the action from a window over- death was irrelevant. Almost overnight, looking the palace. Early last Tuesday he became an instant martyr for leftists morning, armored cars rolled across the world over—and a legendary spec- Santiago's broad Plaza de la Constitu- ter that may well haunt cion to block the portals of La Moneda, for years. the somber 18th century-style Presiden- Allende's downfall bad implications tial Palace. As army sharpshooters took that reached far beyond the borders of up positions, at least 100 armed care- Chile. His bad been the first democrat- bineros—Chile's paramilitary police ically elected Marxist government in —jumped out of buses and double-timed Latin America. Moderate Latins will across the square. Their mission, accord- certainly want no more such experi- ing to the secret order of the day, was ments because of Chile's experience; "to restore institutional normality" in VICTIM OF SANTIAGO STREET FIGHTING leftists, on the other hand, will ruefully South America's most democratic na- Democracy died as wet!. TICE SEPTEMBER 24.1973 35 THE WORLD urged workers—the most loyal and en- station operated by his Socialist Pa thusiastic supporters of his socialist pro- went silent after making a final appeal gram—to seize their factories as a sign to enlisted men to disobey the orders of of defiance. As Hawker Hunters of the their officers. Another station operated Chilean air force swooped low over the by Allende's Communist partners' in palace, Allende made a final appearance the Chilean Unidad Popular (Popular on his second-floor balcony and waved Unity) coalition went dead. Soon the to a small band of curious citizens whom only station left on the air in Santiago the army had not yet shooed away. was one that identified itself as "the mil- Allende immediately recognized itary government radio." Its first order that he faced the worst crisis of his "The President of the republic must pro- stormy three-year presidency. An hour ceed immediately to hand over his high before the military's ultimatum, he tele- office."

phoned his wife Hortensia at their villa . A Mexican journalist in Santiago.

Manuel Mejido, managed to interview 15 of the people who claim to have last seen Allende alive. According to his ac- count, the President assembled close friends in the palace and told them: "I will not abandon La Moneda. They will only take me out of here dead." The group included ten members of the se- curity force and 30 youths of a private guard known as el Grupo de Amigos Per- sonales (the Group of Personal Friends) General Pinochet's call was followed by one from the navy commander, Ad- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: ALLENDE WAVING AT THIRD ANNIVERSARY ELECTION CELEBRATION; miral Jose Toribio Merino Castro, who ALLENDE'S BODY LEAVING LA MONEDA PALACE; MEETING OF MILITARY JUNTA' repeated the ultimatum. "I will not sur- render," Allende declared. "That is a course for cowards like yourself " tton and "stop a disastrous dictatorship "I'm calling from La Moneda," he told As an attack on the palace became from installing itself" her. "The situation has become very imminent, Allende gathered his rem- Allende had apparently heard ru- grave. The navy has revolted and I am nant of supporters in one room of the mors; at the uncharacteristically early going to stay here." Allende was right. palace. "Gentlemen," he said, "I am hour of 7:15, he had driven to La Mone- Even before the junta's troops surround- staying." He asked everyone to leave. da from his comfortable villa in San- ed the palace, the navy had announced no one did. Allende then ordered the tiago's Barrio Alto district. As the troops that it had taken over and sealed off women to go to the office of the palace began to assemble outside the palace, the port city of Valparaiso, 75 miles major-domo and told the men to take General A ugusto Pinochet Ugarte, com- away. Marines from Valparaiso were ad- up combat positions. There was a 20- mander in chief of the army, telephoned vancing on the capital to join the sol- minute attack by infantry and tanks an ultimatum to the palace. If Allende diers, airmen and earabineros com- During a brief truce, General Pinochel surrendered his office, he would be giv- manded by leaders of the coup. again called the palace, giving Allende en safe-conduct out of the country; oth- Allende soon found himself isolated 15 minutes to surrender. Once more the erwise he would be deposed by force from all potential supporters, A radio Allende refused. "I will not resign," he 'One building attacked by troops at the first Our • declared in a very brief radio broadcast. 'From left: Admiral Merino, Generals Pinochei. ry of fighting was Communist Party headquaners Leigh and Mendoza. In the background- O'Hig- in Santiago, shown on IOM's cover With en Allen "I am prepared to die if necessary " He gins portrait de banner across its facade. 36 TIME. SEPTEmeEe 74 $073 President refused. When the attack halt- never his body—and that he and four ed, the women in the palace—including aides had been killed in cold blood. The one of Allende's daughters, Beatriz. rumors fed the rapidly growing legend 31—left for safety. of Allende the Marxist martyr. At noon, a pair of Hawker Hunters The same day the body of Allende attacked the palace with bombs, rock- was trucked to a military airport near ets and tear gas. An hour and a half Santiago and put aboard a plane bound later, infantrymen entered La Moneda for the city of Vida del Mar, where the by a side door; their officers gave Allen- President's family maintained a crypt. de ten minutes to surrender. "All of you Mrs. Allende was allowed to accompany go down without weapons and with the corpse, as were his sister Laura, two hands up," the President told the hand- nephews and an aide. ful of aides who had stayed with him. At Santa Ines cemetery, Mrs. Allen- "Go and surrender to the army. I will de, torn between sorrow and fury, picked be the last to leave," Then, according some flowers and laid them on the cof- to Mejido, Allende shot himself. fin, "Salvador Allende cannot be bur- Mrs. Allende had listened to her ied in such an anonymous way," she said husband's final radio broadcast. "At in a hard voice to the gravediggers. "I noon, Salvador did not answer the tele- want you to know at least the name of phone at La Moneda" she said. "When the person you are burying," I managed to get through to La Mone- Meanwhile, the junta moved rapidly da, it was security agents or carabineros to consolidate its rule. In a hasty cer- who answered." Meanwhile the air force emony at the Bernardo O'Higgins Mil- SOLDIERS ABOARD TANKS IN SANTIAGO was also attacking the house at Barrio itary School—named in honor of Chile's Prison ship, summary executions. Alto. "Between attacks—the planes re- founding father—a military government airports and closed the borders to Ar- turned to their base to reload—there was that included two right-wing civilians ferocious shooting. The residence was gentina, and Peru. A state of for political window dressing was sworn siege was imposed throughout the coun- all smoke. The last telephone call I made in. Ominously, the new leaders took an try, and Santiago was subject to a round- to La Moneda, I had to use the tele- oath of allegiance not to Chile's consti- the-clock curfew. Violators were warned phone lying on the floor." tution but to the junta. General Pino- that they would be shot on sight. While Not until the next day was Mrs chet headed the Cabinet as President of the army struggled to rid Santiago of left- Allende told that her husband was in a the junta. Its other members: Admiral ist snipers, householders kept their military hospital. wounded. When she Merino; General Gustavo Leigh heads down because itchy soldiers fired went to see him, she learned that he was Guzman, air force commander in chief, whenever a window went up too fast actually dead. She told newsmen that . and General Cesar Mendoza Duran, di- There were rumors that pro-Allende he had probably killed himself with a rector general of the carabineros. The army units were in command of the submachine gun presented to him by most important portfolio in the new southern part of the country. By week's Cuba's Fidel Castro. But rumors spread Cabinet—Interior—went to Army Gen- end. the military officially declared that that Allende had been shot 13 times eral Oscar Bonilla. —the widow later saw his coffin but life in the capital was returning to nor- The military shut down all of Chile's mal But a stringent curfew remained

with the liberator of , Jose de The Coup: The View from the Carrera San Martin. To the patrons swilling white wine and munching pork sand- From Santiago, TIME Correspondent By Wednesday, little things began Charles Edsendrath sent these vignettes wiches, it seemed fitting to celebrate in indicating that the revolution was end- a historic political monument—but of life in the midst of a revolution.. ing. Those trapped in the Carrera sensed there was no talk of politics, for the first the lessening fire, sometimes too soon. time in memory. The Carrera-Sheraton Hotel, which For instance, as I was typing in my room overlooks the Presidential Palace, is a early Thursday, a man asked if he could bulky brown 17-story building with what In the El Golf distnct, known for look out the window, which overlooks its fine houses and the rending beauty at least one travel brochure optimistical- La Moneda. As he opened the curtain, ly describes as "tastefully decorated of the girls who parade each Saturday thwack! came the shot from below. Be- along Providencia Avenue, machine rooms." At the height of the fighting on fore I could crawl over and throw him Tuesday, Carrera Manager Luis Miguel gunners lay prone under budding fruit out of my room, he had taken another trees. One soldier, submachine gun at ("Mike") Gallegos—upon whose thin peek, and we had taken another round. breast every one of last week's guests the ready, dagger slung from his shoul- But after three days of entombment in der, was being besieged by a comely would like to hang a medal—evacuated the Carrera he, like everybody else, had his 270 charges and 200 employees to the Chilena who kept threatening to put a begun thinking of other things. lie had flower in his dagger sheath. He resist- cavernous second basement. It took on risked his life to see if his car, which the atmosphere of a London tube stop ed. But when I passed the spot a few was parked on the plaza, was undemol- minutes later, I noticed that the soldier during the blitz, but with a notably inter- ished. (It was.) national flavor. A French journalist had lost the battle, although perhaps won another. challenged all corners to Scrabble in The break came Friday. Santiago, a French. An S.A.S. pilot treated friends to When I walked by the now aban- city with a climate like Denver's and doned Congress building, a gardener in drinks. A Tokyo businessman impas- women like Paris', stretched out in the sively read a magazine. Only one guest, blue overalls was walking amidst the early spring sunshine like a cat cooped statues. tending to the Jerusalem Post Managing Editor Ari plants I asked up too long in a closet. Thousands surged him what he thought of the revolution. Raph, was wounded, and he but slight- around the smoky ruins of La Moneda. His response seemed to reflect the wish ly. Raph, a veteran of the Six-Day War, People in their Sunday best jammed into observed that he had never seen preci- of many Santiagoans for a period of sim- El Trafico bar, located in the shabby re- ple tranquillity. "Some win, some lose," sion bombing and strafing to match the mains of the house where Chile's found- he said. "But during revolutions, green Chilean air force raid on La Moneda. ing father, Bernardo O'Higgins, had met plants don't get enough water "

Time, SEPTEMBER 24. 1973 37 THE WORLD in effect, the airports stayed closed, and to break relations with Cuba, which Elsewhere in the world, there were all communications with the outside Allende had recognized soon after his in- clear signs that the Chilean President world were censored. auguration, in defiance of the Organi- had gained instant martyrdom among There were stories that some soldiers zation of American States ban. A few radicals, alongside Patrice Lumumba of had bayoneted prisoners to death with- hours after Allende died, 150 Cubans the Congo (now Zaire) and Che Gue- out reason, while others, armed with lists were hustled to Santiago's Pudahuel air- vara. In Paris, a crowd of 30.000 of pro-Allende suspects, were making port and put aboard a plane for home. marched through the streets shouting. door-to-door searches in Santiago. Any- Among them was Allende's daughter "Down with the murderers and the CIA!" one found at home was summarily shot. Eteatriz, who is married to the first sec- In Rome, there were sympathetic work In broadcasts, the names of 70 prom- retary of the Cuban embassy. stoppages and eulogies proclaiming that inent Socialist and Communist politi- Castro, who had been an enthusi- "Allende is an idea that does not die." cians wore read off; all those on the list astic ally of Allende, charged that "U.S. Even moderate politicians publicly re- were ordered to surrender at once. imperialism had put down the revolu- gretted that another republic had suc- At least one of the wanted men, So- tionary movement." Political leaders all cumbed to rule by junta. The West Ger- cialist Party Secretary-General Carlos across Latin America voiced their re- man government, for instance, ex- Altamirano, was said to have been "ac- vulsion at the death of democracy in pressed its "deep dismay" and its hope cidentally" killed during the fighting. Chile, Mexican President Luis Eche- that "democratic conditions will soon re- There was yet another report that at verria, who had provided both financial turn to Chile." least 3,000 people had been put aboard and moral support for the Allende gov- One country was conspicuously si- a prison ship off the coast. Among the al- ernment, recalled his ambassador and lent: the U.S. The Nixon Administra- leged internees: Communist Poet Pablo offered asylum to any Chilean who tion had been antagonistic to Allende Neruda, 79, winner of the Nobel Prize sought it, specifically to Mrs. Allende. ever since he emerged as the likely win- for Literature in 1971, and Chile's for- She refused at first, but at week's end ner of the 1970 presidential campaign. mer ambassador to Paris. changed her mind and accepted the of- Washington's hostility increased after Although many, if not most of its fer. The Mexican government also or- Allende's new government fully nation- future goals were unclear, the junta dered three days of official mourning, alized copper mines and other industrial made unmistakable its determination to the first time it had so honored a for- properties owned by U.S. companies and change the leftward course of Allende's eign head of government since the as- declined to pay several of them com- foreign policy. One of its first acts was sassination of John F. Kennedy. pensation. Relations between the two

indeed, foreign influences like goose- The Military and Its Master stepping are visible in each. Until World War 1, when the army was strongly in- "I hope the army will not have to come fluenced by its German tutors, most of out, because if it does, it will be to the officers came from the aristocratic kill." When General landowning class. Today the vast ma- Ugarte issued that grim warning in jority of both officers and recruits come 1971, it sent shock waves across Chile. from the middle and lower classes. The general, who was then com- The Pentagon, which has main- mander of the Santiago garrison, had tained warm relations with the Chilean been asked by President Allende to help armed forces, regards them as among quell disorders in the province, and Chil- the best on the continent. The 90,000 sol- eans were not used to hearing threats diers, sailors, airmen and carabineros from their generals. After a brief state add up to an unusually large military of emergency the situation was resolved contingent for a country with a popu- without bloodshed, and Pinochet went lation of 10 million. Argentina, with a back to his barracks. But not, as it turned population more than twice as large, has out, to stay. Named commander in chief only 145,000 in its armed forces. of the army only three weeks ago, the The Chilean military—notably the powerfully built infantry officer. 57, last navy—has a reputation for maintaining week presided over the coup as head of stern, even brutal discipline. That may a four-man military junta. not bode too well for the immediate fu- Despite the army's recent reputation ture, since General Pinochet is a tough for staying out of politics, Chile's his- and energetic commander, as well as a tory contains numerous examples of mil- stickler for army regulations. Born in itary meddling. Ever since it gained its Valparaiso--Allende's home town—Pi- independence from Spain in 1818, the nochet (pronounced pee-no-chet) en- country has been periodically racked by tered the army's military academy at the economic strife and class warfare, with GENERAL AUGUSTO PINOCHET UGARTE age of 18. He has been to the U.S. South- the military entering the fray on one side ern Command in the Panama Canal or the other. In 1891, civil war broke of military coups and countercoups. Af- Zone several times, and in 1956 served out when part of the armed forces sided ter a period of dictatorial rule under Col- as military attaché to the Chilean em- with a progressive President. Jose Ma- onel Carlos Ibanez degenerated into eco- bassy in Washington. Although a num- nuel Balmaceda (who committed suicide nomic chaos, Alessandri, by then a ber of Chile's top-ranking officers are when he lost), and part with a Congress convert to the conservatives, was re- Masons, the junta leader, who is mar- determined to block his reforms, Allen- elected in 1932. Since then. the armed ried and the father of five children, is a de frequently drew parallels between forces have generally been ruled by the practicing Catholic. Generally he is re- Balinaceda's plight and his own. theory that as long as the President kept garded as a colorless professional who Then in 1924 another reformist, to the constitution they would respect tends to be conservative. Until last week, President , who was his authority. he had never seemed very interested in also stymied by a conservative Congress, Chileans frequently observe that political matters. But that, along with was deposed and exiled to Italy by a they have a Prussian army, a British much else in Chilean life, is certain to junta. The next few years saw a series navy and an American air force—and change in the hard months ahead. 38 TIME, SEPTEMBER 24. 1973 THE WORLD countries grew worse when it was re- vealed that multinational ITT had of- fered the U.S. Government more than $1,000,000 to help prevent Allende's election, and had held discussions with the CIA on possible ways to keep him out of office. The Nixon Administration did what it could to make life for Allende uncom- fortable, mostly through financial pres- sure on institutions like the World Bank. In August 1971, as a result of U.S. com- plaints that debt-laden Chile was a poor credit risk, the Export-Import Bank re- fused to make a $21 minion loan to Lan- Chile airline to enable it to buy three WOMEN WAVING POT LIDS & HANDKERCHIEFS IN ANTI-ALLENDE DEMONSTRATION Boeing jets, even though the airline had a perfect repayment record. U.S. exports mained kept one-way airline tickets at to Chile overall declined 50% during hand just in case. Allende's three years. Still, Allende had plenty of admir- Military Rapport. But the Penta- ers. Some were not even socialists, but gon remained on relatively good terms sympathetic liberals who hoped that he with Chile's military brass. Last year, could succeed in bridging the gulf be- for instance, the U.S. extended $10 mil- tween the poor and the wealthy. The lion to the Chilean air force to buy trans- poor, peasant and worker alike, idolized port planes and other equipment. The him. "I would be a hypocrite if I were military rapport was so solid, in fact, to say that I am President of all Chil- that stories were circulating in Wash- eans," he once observed. They listened ington last week that U.S. officials had in awe as "Chicho" addressed them. known about the coup up to 16 hours be- Allende slept only five hours a night fore it took place. and spent most of his waking hours White House spokesmen denied that working. "To work for the people is real- the Administration had had any such ly a pleasure," he once said grandiosely. foreknowledge. There had been many Allende impressed visitors as a crisp ad- rumors—with many different dates—of ministrator. He was a hard man but not a possible coup, they insisted, but noth- a ruthless one. An American diplomat ing solid had been known until La who knew him remarked that "when it Moneda was actually stormed. In any comes to leaning on people to do some- case, the U.S. had not moved to alert thing, Allende makes Lyndon Johnson Allende on the ground that to do so look like a piker." would have been interfering in the in- Despite his Marxist beliefs, Allende ternal affairs of another nation. The ex- savored the good life. He drank Scotch, planation was obviously not strong liked golf and was fond of good wines. enough to dispel the suspicion that the In addition to his family home, he re- U.S. had played some part in engineer- portedly had a hideaway to which he HORTENSIA ALLENDE BEFORE COUP ing the Chilean President's overthrow. would take cronies—and women—and Flowers for Salvador. Allende bore much of the blame for barbecue steaks for them. Allende was his own downfall. His socialist fiscal pol- a sophisticated but casual dresser who Once in office, Allende moved swift- icies shattered Chile's economy instead favored turtleneck sweaters even at ly to change the economic face of the of helping it. Always a net importer of work. In fact, he was reportedly wear- country. His Christian Democratic pre- food, the country had to import still ing a white turtleneck when he died. decessor, Eduardo Frei, had already in- more because Allende's land-reform After the fighting died down last week, troduced agrarian reforms and pushed programs reduced production. The gov- the military government televised a film government participation in industry. ernment, as owner of the copper mines, showing Allende's imposing wardrobe But Allende inaugurated a far more was in deep trouble when world copper and shelves of imported liquor and sweeping program of government prices fell. Foreign reserves totaled $345 foods. The implication was hard to miss: ownership and operation, beginning million when Allende took office; by the while his supporters had been queuing with total ownership of the giant cop- end of last year they had disappeared, up, Allende had engaged in the kind of per operations, whose U.S. owners had and Chile was forced to plead for re- hoarding he railed against. been woefully slow in training Chileans scheduling of more than $2.5 billion in Allende's family dated back to the for more important, better paying jobs. international debts. The country was so early days of Chile. His physician grand- Cement, steel, electricity and telephones polarized in the end that Allende was father was a Masonic grandmaster and were also nationalized, along with both under simultaneous attack by rightists the founder of the first nonreligious foreign and domestic banks. Labor for being too extreme and by leftists for elementary school in predominantly Ro- unions were given control of new plants being too timid. man Catholic Chile. Allende's father that went up in belts around Santiago, Few Chileans were neutral about the was a notary who died while his son close by tidy neighbors of the middle President. Although their lavish life- was serving one of many prison terms class. With the government's tacit con- style was only marginally diminished, for socialist activity. Allende was al- sent, peasants seized huge estates owned the rich-5% of the population control- lowed to attend the funeral. At the by absentee landlords, and in their zeal ling 20% of its resources—despised him graveside he delivered an impromptu even took land from small farmers. for seizing the property from which their speech pledging himself to seek freedom In office Allende made at least two wealth had come. The middle class, for the people and social justice. He be- crucial political mistakes. One was to squeezed by inflation and plagued with came a doctor but gave up medicine for forget—or at least ignore—the fact that shortages, was bitter and unreconcilable. politics. He campaigned doggedly until, he had entered office as a minority win- Hundreds, perhaps thousands of Chil- on the fourth attempt, he was finally ner. In the tumultuous 1970 election, eans left the country. Others who re- elected President. Allende led the two other candidates,

11 CCDTC oCG n1 VI,/ • IP THE WORLD but gained only 36.3% of the popular The principal cause of Allende's of this year) and meager incomes. To vote. According to the constitution, the downfall was his inability to settle a se- prevent chaos, the President tried to Chilean Congress was called on to ries of crippling strikes—staged not by make peace with the opposition Chris- choose the winner. It followed tradition leftist labor unions but by the President's tian Democrats. Nothing came of the di- by selecting Allende, the front runner. implacable middle-class enemies. Ear- alogue because the party was badly split. He thus became President even though lier this year, workers at El Teniente, One faction urged support for the gov- nearly two thirds of the voters preferred the world's largest underground copper ernment. Another, led by ex-President other men. But he ruled as though he mine, marched out on a 74-day strike Frei, was determined to help topple it had the nation behind him. for higher wages that cost the govern- by withholding cooperation. March of the Pots. Allende's sec- ment nearly $75 million in lost revenue, In an effort to reduce right-wing op- ond mistake was to assume that the mid- The unrest spread. Three weeks af- position and frighten the truckers. dle and upper classes would placidly ac- ter the copper strike was settled, the Allende persuaded commanders of the cept his "Chilean road to socialism" so powerful truckers (most of the country's armed forces to come into his Cabinet. long as all things were done constitu- commerce travels by road) went out on That was a serious error, since it polit- tionally. They never did. "If we have to strike again. They had first struck in Oc- icized the military, which had tried to burn half of Chile to save it from Com- tober. complaining about a lack of spare stay above the crisis, into pro- and anti- munism. then we will do it," threatened parts and the government's increasing Allende factions. The result was a cha- Roberto Thieme, leader of an extremist trucking operations. This time they rade of revolving-door politics. right-wing organization called Father- charged that Allende had reneged on Less than ten days after he had been land and Liberty. More moderate op- agreements made last fall to ease both appointed Public Works Minister with ponents were less outraged but equally situations. The new strike cost Chile responsibility for settling the truckers' adamant against Allende's plans to nearly $6 million a day as food supplies strike, Air Force General Cesar Ruiz uri Danyau resigned, charging that he had not been given enough authority. Anti- Allende factions within the military then forced General Carlos Prats Gon- zalez, the army's commander in chief, to resign as Minister of Defense. He was replaced by General Pinochet, now pres- ident of the junta. The reunited Christian Democrats greeted the coup with jubilation. They is- sued a junta-approved statement deplor- ing the violence but offering support for Chile's new leaders. The party statement went on to note that the Christian Dem- ocrats were certain that power would be returned "to the sovereign people" as soon as "the burdensome tasks of the junta have been completed." Tragic History. Later in the week, the new Interior Minister, General Bon- illa, promised that Chile would be re- turned to civilian rule, but did not say when. Most observers assumed that the military would be in power quite some time—long enough. at any rate, to try to wipe out whatever vestiges of Marx- ism remain in the country. Democracy has all too often been the victim of South America's tragic his- BURNED-OUT INTERIOR OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN SANTIAGO Death in a turtleneck sweater, and a place among socialist martyrs. tory of violence and upheaval. Today fully 70% of its 200 million people are broaden state controls. Opposition par- dwindled, fuel vanished and crop short- subject to some kind of military rule. In ties, controlling both houses of Congress, ages loomed because seeds and fertil- many cases the officers ousted leftist or fought him all the time he was in power. izer could not be delivered. populist leaders, such as Brazil's Joao Some of the strongest opposition While most of the country survived Goulart or Guatemala's Jacabo Arbenz, came from Chilean women, perhaps the on short rations, the truckers seemed un- who had tried to change their nation's most liberated in Latin America. As oc- usually well equipped for a lengthy hold- rigidly oligarchic structures. Allende is casional meatless days became regular out. Recently, TIME Correspondent Ru- the latest in this line of ambitious but un- meatless weeks, they organized a dolph Rauch visited a group of truckers successful reformers. "March of the Empty Pots" in 1971 to camped near Santiago who were enjoy- Chile's military junta succeeded in dramatize the rising cost and increasing ing a lavish communal meal of steak, its basic goal, getting rid of Allende, but shortages of food. The sound of spoons vegetables, wine and empanadas (meat the real question is: At what cost? As a banging against empty pots became a pies). "Where does the money for that spiritual inspiration to leftists, Allende symbolic klaxon of protest. The signal come from?" he inquired. "From the may prove to be more potent dead than would suddenly begin in one quarter of CIA," the truckers answered laughingly. alive. On the other hand, his overthrow Santiago and ripple all across the city, In Washington, the CIA denied the may convince radicals that a violent rev- to the chagrin of the government. Two allegation. olution. repressing all dissent, is the only weeks ago, after Allende's supporters Meanwhile, the political polariza- sure way to socialism. Certainly this "de- staged a massive rally in Plaza de In tion of Chile continued, with Allende cent, godless man" will never be forgot- Constitucion to celebrate the third an- seemingly unable to do much about it. ten by the poor of Chile, who regarded niversary of his election, 100.000 women The truckers' protest triggered sporadic him as a secular savior. Which means turned out a day later for a counterdem- strikes by doctors, shopkeepers and bus that the next time a popular Marxist onstration. They were dispersed with and taxi drivers angered by ballooning leader appears in Chile, his path to pow- tear gas. inflation (300% in the first six months er may not be quite so peaceful.

46 TIME, SEPTEMBER 24, 1977