Salvador Allende
29th President of Chile
In office November 3, 1970 – September 11, 1973
Preceded by	Eduardo Frei Montalva
Succeeded by	Augusto Pinochet
56th President of the Senate of the Republic of Chile
In office 1966 – 1969
Preceded by	Tomás Reyes Vicuña
Succeeded by	Tomás Pablo Elorza
Born	June 26, 1908(1908-06-26) Valparaíso, Chile
Died	September 11, 1973 (aged 65) Santiago, Chile
Nationality	Chilean
Political party	Socialist

Salvador Isabelino Allende Gossens^[1] (June 26, 1908 – September 11, 1973) was President of Chile from November 1970 until his death during the coup d'état of September 11, 1973. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Eduardo Nicanor Frei Montalva (1911&ndash1982 was a Chilean political figure and President of Chile from 1964 to 1970 Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November The President of the Senate of Chile is the highest authority of the Senate of Chile. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Valparaíso (literally in Spanish: Valle Paraíso (Paradise Valley and also called "Valpo" locally is a major city in Chile Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Santiago ( (litteraly in spanish Saint James) is the Capital of Chile, and the center of its largest Conurbation ( Greater Santiago The Socialist Party of Chile (Spanish Partido Socialista de Chile or PS is part of the ruling Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The Chilean coup d'état of 1973 is a landmark in the History of Chile and the Russo-American Cold War.

Allende's career in Chilean government spanned nearly forty years. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the As a Socialist Party politician, he became a senator, deputy, cabinet minister and after failing in the 1952, 1958, and 1964 presidential elections, he was elected President in 1970. The Socialist Party of Chile (Spanish Partido Socialista de Chile or PS is part of the ruling Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile 's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile The National Congress (Congreso Nacional is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile. A minister or a secretary is a Politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional Government. A presidential election was held in Chile on September 4 1952. A presidential election was held in Chile on September 4 1958. A presidential election was held in Chile on September 4, 1964. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. He was the first Marxist leader of a nation to gain power through democratic process. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ^[2]

Early life

Allende was born on June 26, 1908 in Valparaíso. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Valparaíso (literally in Spanish: Valle Paraíso (Paradise Valley and also called "Valpo" locally is a major city in Chile ^[3] He was the son of Salvador Allende Castro and Laura Gossens Uribe. Allende's family belonged to the Chilean upper-class and had a long tradition of political involvement in progressive and liberal causes. His grandfather was a prominent doctor and reformist who founded one of the first secular schools in Chile ^[4]. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion.

Allende attended high school at the Liceo Eduardo de la Barra in Valparaíso. As a teenager, his main intellectual and political influence came from the shoe-maker Juan De Marchi, an Italian-born anarchist ^[4]. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Allende then graduated with a medical degree in 1926 at the University of Chile. Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral ^[4].

He co-founded the section of the Socialist Party of Chile (founded in 1933 with Marmaduque Grove and others) in Valparaíso ^[4] and became its chairman. The Socialist Party of Chile (Spanish Partido Socialista de Chile or PS is part of the ruling Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition Air Commodore Marmaduque Grove Vallejo ( July 6, 1878 - May 15, 1954) was a Chilean Air Force officer Political figure He married Hortensia Bussi with whom he had three daughters. In 1933, he published his doctoral thesis Higiene Mental y Delincuencia in which he criticized Cesare Lombroso's proposals ^[5]

In 1938, Allende was in charge of the electoral campaign of the Popular Front headed by Pedro Aguirre Cerda ^[4]. Cesare Lombroso, born Ezechia Marco Lombroso ( November 6, 1835 – October 19, 1909) was a Jewish Italian The Popular Front in Chile was an electoral and political left-wing coalition from 1937 to February 1941 during the Presidential Republic Era (1924-1973 Pedro Abelino Aguirre Cerda ( February 6, 1879 - November 25, 1941) was a Chilean Political figure. The Popular Front's slogan was then "Bread, a Roof and Work!" ^[4]. After its electoral victory, he became Minister of Health in the Reformist Popular Front government which was dominated by the Bourgeoisie and the Radicals ^[4]. The Ministry of Health of Chile (Ministerio de Salud de Chile also known as MINSAL, is the Cabinet-level administrative office in charge of planning directing Socialist Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a Society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures The Radical Party ( Partido Radical) of Chile was a political party formed in 1863 by some dissatisfied liberals. Entering the government, he relinquished his parliamentary seat for Valparaíso won in 1937. Around that time, he wrote La Realidad Médico Social de Chile (The social and medical reality of Chile). After the Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany, Allende and other members of the Parliament sent a telegram to Adolf Hitler denouncing the persecution of Jews ^[6]. Kristallnacht ( literally "Crystal night" or the Night of Broken Glass was a Pogrom in Nazi Germany on November 9–10 1938 Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Following Aguirre's death in 1941, he was again elected deputy while the Popular Front was being re-named Democratic Alliance. The Democratic Alliance of Chile (Alianza Democrática de Chile was a coalition of left-wing parties from 1941 to 1946 which succeeded to the Popular Front headed by

In 1945, Allende became senator for the Valdivia, Llanquihue, Chiloé, Aisén and Magallanes provinces; then for Tarapacá and Antofagasta in 1953; for Aconcagua and Valparaíso in 1961; and once more for Chiloé, Aisén and Magallanes in 1969. Valdivia is a province of Chile located in the Los Ríos Region. Chiloé is one of the provinces of Los Lagos Region of Chile. For the copper-mining company named after the region see Antofagasta plc. Cerro Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, and the highest mountain outside Asia. Valparaíso (literally in Spanish: Valle Paraíso (Paradise Valley and also called "Valpo" locally is a major city in Chile He became president of the Chilean Senate in 1966. The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile 's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile

His three unsuccessful bids for the presidency (in the 1952, 1958 and 1964 elections) prompted Allende to joke that his epitaph would be "Here lies the next President of Chile. A presidential election was held in Chile on September 4 1952. A presidential election was held in Chile on September 4 1958. A presidential election was held in Chile on September 4, 1964. " In 1952, as candidate for the Frente de Acción Popular (Popular Action Front, FRAP), he obtained only 5. The FRAP ( Spanish: Frente de Acción Popular, Front for Popular Action was a Chilean left-wing coalition of parties from 1956 to 1969 4% of the votes, partly due to a division within socialist ranks over support for Carlos Ibáñez and the prohibition of communism. General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo ( November 3 1877 &ndash April 28 1960) was a Chilean Army officer and Political figure Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based In 1958, again as the FRAP candidate, Allende obtained 28. 5% of the vote. This time, his defeat was attributed to votes lost to the populist Antonio Zamorano. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political In 1964, once more as the FRAP candidate, he lost again, polling 38. 6% of the votes against 55. 6% for Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei. The Christian Democratic Party of Chile ( Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Chile) is a Political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition Eduardo Nicanor Frei Montalva (1911&ndash1982 was a Chilean political figure and President of Chile from 1964 to 1970 As it became clear that the election would be a race between Allende and Frei, the political right – which initially had backed Radical Julio Durán – settled for Frei as "the lesser evil". In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The Social Democratic Radical Party ( Partido Radical Socialdemócrata) is a Social democratic party in Chile.

Allende's socialistic ideology and friendship with Cuban president Fidel Castro made him deeply unpopular within the administrations of successive U.S. presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Richard Nixon; they believed there was a danger of Chile becoming a communist state and joining the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of Communist state is a term used by many Political scientists to describe a Form of government in which the State operates under a one-party system The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A sphere of influence ( SOI) is an area or region over which an organization or state exerts some kind of indirect cultural economic military or political domination However, Senator Allende publicly condemned the Soviet invasion of Hungary (1956) and of Czechoslovakia (1968); but as President he made Chile the first Government in continental America to recognize the People's Republic of China (1971). The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 ( Hungarian: 1956-os forradalom) was a spontaneous nationwide Revolt against the Stalinist government of The Prague Spring ( Czech: Pražské jaro, Slovak: Pražská jar) was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES

Various U. S. corporations (including ITT, Anaconda and Kennecott) owned property and mineral rights in Chile. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business ITT Corporation, is a global diversified manufacturing company with 2007 revenues of $9 Anaconda Copper Mining Company (until 1915 known as the Amalgamated Copper Mining Company) one of the largest trusts of the early 20th century which owned all the mines Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation (KUCC a division of Rio Tinto Group, is a Mining, Smelting, and Refining company Mineral rights, mining rights, oil rights or drilling rights, are the rights to remove Minerals Oil, or sometimes Water The Nixon administration feared that these companies might be nationalized by a socialistic government, and was openly hostile to Allende. Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government During Nixon's presidency, U. S. officials attempted to prevent Allende's election by financing political parties aligned with opposition candidate Jorge Alessandri and supporting strikes in the mining and transportation sectors. Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez ( May 19, 1896 &ndash August 31, 1986) was President of Chile from 1958 to 1964 and was the

Election

Chilean workers marching in support of Allende in 1964.

Main article: Chilean presidential election, 1970

Allende won the 1970 Chilean presidential election as leader of the Unidad Popular ("Popular Unity") coalition. A presidential election was held in Chile on 4 September 1970. Unidad Popular ( UP) ( English: "People's Unity" was a coalition of Political parties in Chile that stood behind the successful candidacy On September 4, 1970, he obtained a narrow plurality of 36. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 2 percent to 34. 9 percent over Jorge Alessandri, a former president, with 27. Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez ( May 19, 1896 &ndash August 31, 1986) was President of Chile from 1958 to 1964 and was the 8 percent going to a third candidate (Radomiro Tomic) of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), whose electoral platform was similar to Allende's. Radomiro Tomić Romero ( 7 May 1914 – 3 January 1992) was a Chilean politician The Christian Democratic Party of Chile ( Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Chile) is a Political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition According to the Chilean Constitution of the time, if no presidential candidate obtained a majority of the popular vote, Congress would choose one of the two candidates with the highest number of votes as the winner. Tradition was for Congress to vote for the candidate with the highest popular vote, regardless of margin. Indeed, former president Jorge Alessandri had been elected in 1958 with only 31. 6 percent of the popular vote, defeating Allende.

The United States tried to influence the result of the election, but failed. ITT Corporation gave at least $350,000 to Jorge Alessandri. ITT Corporation, is a global diversified manufacturing company with 2007 revenues of $9 Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez ( May 19, 1896 &ndash August 31, 1986) was President of Chile from 1958 to 1964 and was the The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funded Alessandri's campaign through the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation and other channels^[7] similar to their actions in the 1964 elections. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all

The CIA claimed that Allende's campaign also received $350,000 from Cuba. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la ^[8]

On October 22 General René Schneider, Commander in Chief of the Chilean Army, was shot resisting a kidnap attempt by a group led by Roberto Viaux; hospitalized, he died of his wounds three days later. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus General René Schneider Chereau ( December 31, 1913 - October 25, 1970) was the Commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army General Roberto Viaux Marambio ( 1917 - September 5, 2005) was a Chilean Army General and the primary planner in two failed Coup d'état Viaux's kidnapping plan had been supported by the CIA, although it seems that then-US Secretary for Foreign Affairs Henry Kissinger had ordered the plans turned off. Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German -born American bureaucrat diplomat and 1973 ^[9] Schneider was a known defender of the "constitutionalist" doctrine that the army's role is exclusively professional, its mission being to protect the country's sovereignty and not to interfere in politics. Schneider Doctrine was a political doctrine originally espoused by Chilean General René Schneider, which allowed the election of Salvador Allende as

René Schneider's murder was widely disapproved of and, for the time, ended military opposition to Allende,^[9] whom the parliament finally chose on October 24. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat On October 26, President Eduardo Frei named General Carlos Prats as commander in chief of the army to replace René Schneider. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death Eduardo Nicanor Frei Montalva (1911&ndash1982 was a Chilean political figure and President of Chile from 1964 to 1970 General Carlos Prats González ( February 24, 1915 - September 30, 1974) was a Chilean Army officer a Political figure

Allende assumed the presidency on November 3, 1970 after signing a “Statute of Constitutional Guarantees” proposed by the Christian Democrats in return for their support in Congress. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In an extensive interview with Regis Debray, Allende explained his reasons for agreeing to the guarantees. Jules Régis Debray (born 1940 is a French Intellectual, Journalist, government official and Professor. ^[10] Some critics have interpreted Allende's responses as an admission that signing the "Statute" was only a tactical move on his part. ^[11]

Presidency

Main article: Chile under Allende

Allende stamp. Salvador Allende was the president of Chile from 1970 until 1973 and head of the Popular Unity government he was the first Marxist ever to be elected

Upon assuming power, Allende began to carry out his platform of implementing socialistic programs in Chile, called La vía chilena al socialismo ("the Chilean Path to Socialism"). This included nationalization of large-scale industries (notably copper mining and banking), and government administration of the health care system, educational system, a program of free milk for children (given out arbitrarily by GAP "Group of Personal Friends of the President"), and a greatly expanded plan of land seizure and redistribution (already begun under his predecessor Eduardo Frei Montalva,^[12] who had nationalized between one-fifth and one-quarter of all properties liable to takeover [Collier & Sater, 1996]). Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government Currently the most common source of Copper Ore is the mineral Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2 which accounts for about 50% of copper production A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing The Allende government's intention was to seize all holdings of more than eighty basic irrigated hectares [Faundez, 1988]. Allende also intended to improve the socio-economic welfare of Chile's poorest citizens; a key element was to provide employment, either in the new nationalised enterprises or on public work projects.

Chilean presidents were allowed a maximum term of six years, which may explain Allende's haste to restructure the economy. Not only did he have a significant restructuring program organized (the Vuskovic plan), he had to make it a success if a Socialist successor to Allende was going to be elected. The Vuskovic Plan was the basis for the Economic policy of the Popular Unity (UP government of Chilean President Salvador Allende In the first year of Allende's term, the short-term economic results of Minister of the Economy Pedro Vuskovic's expansive monetary policy were favorable: 12% industrial growth and an 8. Pedro Vuskovic Bravo ( February 25, 1924 – May 10, 1993) was a Chilean economist Political figure, minister and author 6% increase in GDP, accompanied by major declines in inflation (down from 34. 9% to 22. 1%) and unemployment (down to 3. 8%). However, these results were not sustained, and in 1972, the Chilean escudo had runaway inflation of 140%. The average Real GDP contracted between 1971 and 1973 at an annual rate of 5. 6% ("negative growth"); and the government's fiscal deficit soared while foreign reserves declined [Flores, 1997]. The combination of inflation and government-mandated price-fixing, together with the "disappearance" of basic commodities from supermarket shelves, led to the rise of black markets in rice, beans, sugar, and flour. ^[13] The Chilean economy also became the victim of a US campaign against the Allende government^[14].

The Allende government announced it would default on debts owed to international creditors and foreign governments. Debt is that which is owed usually referencing Assets owed but the term can cover other obligations Allende also froze all prices while raising salaries. His implementation of these policies was met with strong opposition by landowners, employers, businessmen and transporters associations, some middle-class sectors like some civil servants and professional unions, the rightist opposition, led by National Party, the Roman Catholic Church (which in 1973 was displeased with the direction of educational policy^[15]), and eventually the Christian Democrats. The Christian Democratic Party of Chile ( Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Chile) is a Political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition It also was a reason for growing tensions with foreign multinational corporations and the government of the United States. Multinational corporation ( MNC) or transnational corporation ( TNC) is a Corporation or enterprise that manages Production or delivers The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Allende also undertook Project Cybersyn, a system of networked telex machines and computers. Project Cybersyn was a Chilean attempt at real-time computer-controlled Planned economy in the years 1970–1973 (during the government of president Cybersyn was developed by British cybernetics expert Stafford Beer. Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the Structure of Complex systems especially Communication processes control mechanisms and Feedback Anthony Stafford Beer ( September 25, 1926 - August 23, 2002) was a British Theorist, Consultant and professor The network transmitted data from factories to the government in Santiago, allowing for economic planning in real-time. ^[16]

Allende with Argentine president Héctor José Cámpora. Héctor José Cámpora Demaestre (1909-1980 was president of Argentina from May 25 until July 13 1973.

In 1971, Chile re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba, joining Mexico and Canada in rejecting a previously-established Organization of American States convention prohibiting governments in the Western Hemisphere from establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Organization of American States ( OAS, or as it is known in the three other official languages OEA) is an International organization, headquartered The Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies West Shortly afterward, Cuban president Fidel Castro made a month-long visit to Chile. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until The visit, in which Castro held massive rallies and gave public advice to Allende, was seen by those on the political right as proof to support their view that "The Chilean Path to Socialism" was an effort to put Chile on the same path as Cuba.

October 1972 saw the first of what were to be a wave of confrontational strikes. The strikes were led first by truckers, and later by small businessmen, some (mostly professional) unions, and some student groups. Other than the inevitable damage to the economy, the chief effect of the 24-day strike was to induce Allende to bring the head of the army, general Carlos Prats, into the government as Interior Minister. General Carlos Prats González ( February 24, 1915 - September 30, 1974) was a Chilean Army officer a Political figure ^[13] Allende also instructed the government to begin requisitioning trucks in order to keep the nation from coming to a halt. Government supporters also helped to mobilize trucks and buses but violence served as a deterrent to full mobilization, even with police protection for the strike breakers. Allende's actions were eventually declared unlawful by the Chilean appeals court and the government was ordered to return trucks to their owners. ^[17]

Throughout this presidency racial tensions between the poor descendants of indigenous people and slaves who supported Allende’s reforms and the white settler elite increased. ^[18]

In addition to the earlier-discussed provision of employment, Allende also raised wages on a number of occasions throughout 1970 and 1971; these wage hikes were negated by in-tandem inflation of Chile's fiat currency. In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time The terms fiat currency and fiat money relate to types of currency or Money whose usefulness results not from any intrinsic value or guarantee that it can be Although price rises had also been high under Frei (27% a year between 1967 and 1970), a basic basket of consumer goods rose by 120% from 190 to 421 escudos in one month alone, August 1972. In the period 1970-72, while Allende was in government, exports fell 24% and imports rose 26%, with imports of food rising an estimated 149%. ^[19] Although nominal wages were rising, there was not a commensurate increase in the standard of living.

Export income fell due to a decline in the price of copper on international markets; copper being the single most important export (more than half of Chile's export receipts were from this sole commodity^[20]). Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Adverse fluctuation in the international price of copper negatively affected the economy throughout 1971-2: The price of copper fell from a peak of $66 per ton in 1970 to only $48-9 in 1971 and 1972. ^[21]

Throughout his presidency, Allende remained at odds with the Chilean Congress, which was dominated by the Christian Democratic Party. The Christian Democrats (who had campaigned on a socialist platform in the 1970 elections, but drifted away from those positions during Allende's presidency, eventually forming a coalition with the National Party), continued to accuse Allende of leading Chile toward a Cuban-style dictatorship, and sought to overturn many of his more radical policies. There have been two "National Parties" in the history of Chile: The National Party of 1857-1933, created by the supporters of President Allende and his opponents in Congress repeatedly accused each other of undermining the Chilean Constitution and acting undemocratically.

Allende's increasingly bold socialist policies (partly in response to pressure from some of the more radical members within his coalition), combined with his close contacts with Cuba, heightened fears in Washington. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Nixon administration began exerting economic pressure on Chile via multilateral organizations, and continued to back Allende's opponents in the Chilean Congress. Multilateralism is a term in International relations that refers to multiple countries working in concert on a given issue Almost immediately after his election, Nixon directed CIA and U.S. State Department officials to "put pressure" on Allende's government. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all

The coup

Main article: 1973 Chilean coup d'état

The overthrow of President Allende in some ways resembles the fictional events depicted in Jack London's dystopian novel "The Iron Heel" (1908) - which is expressed in this cover for one of the book's later editions

There were rumors of a possible coup since at least 1972; in 1973, partly due to Allende's economic policies and partly as a result of the rapidly declining price of copper (Chile's main export), the economy took a major downturn. The Chilean coup d'état of 1973 is a landmark in the History of Chile and the Russo-American Cold War. Jack London (January 12 1876 &ndash November 22 1916 was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The The Iron Heel is a Dystopian Novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908 By September, high inflation (508% for the entire year) and shortages had plunged the country into near-chaos. ^[22]

Despite declining economic indicators, Allende's Popular Unity coalition actually increased its vote to 43% in the parliamentary elections early in 1973. However, by this point, what had started as an informal alliance with the Christian Democrats^[23] was anything but; the Christian Democrats now joined with the right-wing National Party to oppose Allende's government, the two parties calling themselves the Confederación Democrática (CODE). The conflict between the executive and legislature paralyzed initiatives from either side. ^[24]

On June 29, 1973, a tank regiment under the command of Colonel Roberto Souper surrounded the presidential palace (La Moneda) in an unsuccessful coup attempt known as the Tanquetazo. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Lt Colonel Roberto Federico Souper Onfray was a Chilean Military officer who launched an unsuccessful Coup d'état against the regime of Salvador The Coin House ( Spanish for "Mint Palace" or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. El Tanquetazo or El Tancazo (Both Spanish for tank putsch) ( June 29, 1973) are the names used to refer to the ^[25] On August 9, General Carlos Prats was made Minister of Defense, but this decision proved so unpopular with the military that, on August 22, he was forced to resign not only this position but his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Army; he was replaced in the latter role by General Augusto Pinochet. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus General Carlos Prats González ( February 24, 1915 - September 30, 1974) was a Chilean Army officer a Political figure Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November ^[24]

In August 1973, a constitutional crisis was clearly in the offing: the Supreme Court publicly complained about the government's inability to enforce the law of the land and, on August 22, the Chamber of Deputies (with the Christian Democrats now firmly uniting with the National Party) accused Allende's government of unconstitutional acts and called on the military ministers to assure the constitutional order. The Supreme Court of Chile is the highest Court in Chile. It also administrates the lower courts in the nation Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile (Cámara de Diputados is the lower house of Chile 's bicameral Congress. Among other things, Allende was accused of disregarding the courts, attempting to restrict freedom of speech, and supporting unauthorized seizures of farms and private industry for the purpose of establishing state control of the economy. The Chamber of Deputies also attacked Allende for seeking to "establish a totalitarian system absolutely opposed to the representative system of government established by the Constitution. "^[26]

In early September 1973, Allende floated the idea of resolving the crisis with a plebiscite. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita His speech outlining such a solution was scheduled for September 12, but he was never able to deliver it. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the On September 11, 1973, the Chilean military staged a coup against Allende. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The Chilean coup d'état of 1973 is a landmark in the History of Chile and the Russo-American Cold War.

Death

Main article: Death of Salvador Allende

Just prior to the capture of La Moneda (the Presidential Palace), with gunfire and explosions clearly audible in the background, Allende made what would become a famous farewell speech to Chileans on live radio, speaking of himself in the past tense, of his love for Chile and of his deep faith in its future. Salvador Allende, President of Chile, committed suicide during the Chilean coup of 1973. The Coin House ( Spanish for "Mint Palace" or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. He stated that his commitment to Chile did not allow him to take an easy way out and be used as a propaganda tool by those he called "traitors" (accepting an offer of safe passage), clearly implying he intended to fight to the end.

Shortly afterwards, Allende died. An official announcement declared that he had committed suicide with an automatic rifle,^[28] purportedly the AK-47 assault rifle given to him as a gift by Fidel Castro, which bore a golden plate engraved "To my good friend Salvador from Fidel, who by different means tries to achieve the same goals. The AK-47 (contraction of Russian Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года; Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947 goda; "Kalashnikov's An assault rifle is a Selective fire Rifle or Carbine (not to be confused with a semi-automatic only replica firing Ammunition with muzzle Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until "^[29]

In his 2004 documentary Salvador Allende, Patricio Guzmán incorporates a graphic image of Allende's corpse in the position it was found after his death. Salavador Allende is a 2004 Documentary film about Chilean president Salvador Allende, from his election campaign to the coup d'état Patricio Guzmán Lozanes (born August 11 1941) is a Chilean documentary film director According to Guzmán's documentary, Allende simply shot himself with a gun, and not a rifle.

Foreign involvement in Chile during Allende's Term

Soviet involvement

Statue in front of the Palacio de la moneda

According to Vasili Mitrokhin, a former KGB bureaucrat, regular Soviet contact with Allende after his election was maintained by his KGB case officer, Svyatoslav Kuznetsov, who was instructed by the centre to “exert a favourable influence on Chilean government policy”. The Mitrokhin Archive, by Vasili Mitrokhin, details the USSR's intelligence operations in the world KGB ( Transliteration of "КГБ" is the Russian abbreviation of Committee for State Security ( Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty KGB ( Transliteration of "КГБ" is the Russian abbreviation of Committee for State Security ( Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty According to Allende’s KGB file, he “was made to understand the necessity of reorganising Chile's army and intelligence services, and of setting up a relationship between Chile’s and the USSR’s intelligence services”. Allende was said to react positively.

In October 1971, on instructions from the Politburo, Allende was given $30,000 “in order to solidify the trusted relations” with him. Politburo, short for Political Bureau, Russian Politicheskoye Buro, is the executive organization for a number of Political parties, most notably On December 7, in a memorandum to the Politburo, the KGB proposed giving Allende another $60,000 for what was termed “his work with political party leaders, military commanders and parliamentarians. ”^[30]

According to Christopher Andrew's account of the Mitrokhin archives, "In the KGB’s view, Allende's fundamental error was his unwillingness to use force against his opponents. Without establishing complete control over all the machinery of the State, his hold on power could not be secure. ^[30]"

US involvement

Main article: United States intervention in Chile

The possibility of Allende winning Chile's 1970 election was deemed a disaster by a US government desirous of protecting US business interests and preventing any further spread of communism during the Cold War. The United States intervention in Chilean's politics started during the War of Chilean Independence. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the In September 1970, President Nixon informed the CIA that an Allende regime in Chile would not be acceptable and authorized $10 million to stop Allende from coming to power or unseat him ^[31]. The CIA's plans to impede Allende's investiture as President of Chile were known as "Track I" and "Track II"; Track I sought to prevent Allende from assuming power via so-called "parliamentary trickery", while under the Track II initiative, the CIA tried to convince key Chilean military officers to carry out a coup. ^[31]

After the 1970 election, the Track I operation attempted to incite Chile's outgoing president, Eduardo Frei Montalva, to persuade his party (PDC) to vote in Congress for Alessandri. Eduardo Nicanor Frei Montalva (1911&ndash1982 was a Chilean political figure and President of Chile from 1964 to 1970 The Christian Democratic Party of Chile ( Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Chile) is a Political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition Under the plan, Alessandri would resign his office immediately after assuming it and call new elections. Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez ( May 19, 1896 &ndash August 31, 1986) was President of Chile from 1958 to 1964 and was the Eduardo Frei would then be constitutionally able to run again (since the Chilean Constitution did not allow a president to hold two consecutive terms, but allowed multiple non-consecutive ones), and presumably easily defeat Allende. The Chilean Congress instead chose Allende as President, on the condition that he would sign a "Statute of Constitutional Guarantees" affirming that he would respect and obey the Chilean Constitution, and that his reforms would not undermine any element of it. The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile (Cámara de Diputados is the lower house of Chile 's bicameral Congress.

Track II was abortive, as parallel initiatives already underway within the Chilean military rendered it moot. ^[32]

The United States has acknowledged having played a role in Chilean politics prior to the coup, but its degree of involvement in the coup itself is debated. The CIA was notified by its Chilean contacts of the impending coup two days in advance, but contends it "played no direct role in" the coup. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all ^[33]

President Allende's economic policy had involved nationalizations of many key companies, notably U.S.-owned copper mines. The nationalization of the Chilean copper industry commonly described as the ''Chilenización del cobre'' or Chileanisation of copper was the progressive process by which the This had been a significant reason behind the United States opposition to Allende's reformist socialist government, in addition to his establishing diplomatic relations and cooperation agreements with Cuba and the Soviet Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Much of the internal opposition to Allende's policies came from business sector, and recently-released U. S. government documents confirm that the U. S. funded the truck drivers' strike,^[34] which had exacerbated the already chaotic economic situation prior to the coup.

After General Pinochet assumed power, U. Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told U.S. President Richard Nixon that the U. Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a Government Official. Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German -born American bureaucrat diplomat and 1973 The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by S. "didn't do it," but "we helped them. . . created the conditions as great as possible. " (referring to the coup itself)^[35]. Recent documents declassified under the Clinton administration's Chile Declassification Project show that the United States government and the CIA had sought the overthrow of Allende in 1970 immediately before he took office ("Project FUBELT"), but claims of their direct involvement in the 1973 coup are not proven by publicly available documentary evidence, but many documents still remain classified. The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the Federal See also United States intervention in Chile Project FUBELT (also known as Track II) is the codename for the secret CIA operations that were intended

Legacy and debate

Main article: Criticisms of Salvador Allende

Extra-marital affairs

On May 3, 2007, newspaper La Tercera published a story claiming Gloria Gaitán —daughter of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán— had an unborn child with Allende. Salvador Allende, President of Chile, has inspired a variety of perceptions regarding his policies personality and performance as a head of state. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. La Tercera (The Third One formerly known as La Tercera de la Hora, is a daily newspaper published in Santiago Chile and owned by Copesa Jorge Eliécer Gaitán ( January 23, 1898 &ndash April 9, 1948) was a politician a leader of a Populist movement in Colombia ^[36]

Additional information

See also

References

Other sources

• Chile and the United States: Declassified Documents relating to the Military Coup, 1970-1976, (From the United States' National Security Archive). The National Security Archive is a 501(c(3 non-governmental non-profit research and archival institution located within The George Washington University in

External links

• Official Government biography (Spanish)
• Chile under Allende and Pinochet
• Salvador Allende's "Last Words" Spanish text with English translation. The transcript of the last radio broadcast of Chilean President Salvador Allende, made on 11 September 1973, at 9:10 AM. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. MP3 audio available here.
• Caso Pinochet. While nominally a page about the Pinochet case, this large collection of links includes Allende's dissertation and numerous documents (mostly PDFs) related to the dissertation and to the controversy about it, ranging from the Cesare Lombroso material discussed in Allende's dissertation to a collective telegram of protest over Kristallnacht signed by Allende. Kristallnacht ( literally "Crystal night" or the Night of Broken Glass was a Pogrom in Nazi Germany on November 9–10 1938 (Spanish)
• Previously unreleased interview with Allende by Saul Landau in 1971, published by La Nacion on September 24, 2005. Saul Landau is an American author Documentary Filmmaker, and academic whose work has focused in large part on Latin America. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (Spanish)
• Alternate source of the Resolution of August 22, 1973 (English, Spanish, French, German, Polish
• Map of the Sorroundings of La Moneda Palace (Spanish)