Source: Wikimedia Commons
“File: Flag of Chile.svg.” Wikimedia Commons. Accessed December 13, 2022. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Chile.svg.
Does History allow us, the reader, to fully understand the whole picture of a historical event? History allows individuals to take a glimpse at a certain event in time and understand what happened. It also allows us to take a deeper look at numerous factors, like the point of view of the people, politics changes, economical shifts, and many more. However, some of these factors are extremely difficult to find and research. Often the history of United States government involvement in other countries is not mentioned in most places’ schools. Because of this reason, we cannot get a full understanding of a historical event because we lack the many viewpoints that allow us to piece together the full picture. I plan on gathering sources to better interpret what happened before and after the coup of 1973 in Chile. To accomplish this goal, I gather articles, books, and primary sources to indicate how the United States played a role in Chile and demonstrate the lasting effects Pinochet’s government had on its people.
Throughout the 20th century in Chile, there have been many reforms and changes to the government. In one case in 1929, the Chilean government faced an economic crisis, causing the current president of the time Ibanez to resign in 1931 and hand power to the traditional party. A coup would later overthrow this party on June 4 of 1932, which would last for 12 days and end with Alessandri being reelected as president.[1] Another massive reform happened though out the 60s in Chile, when Montalva Frei was elected in 1964. “He partially nationalized the copper mines by acquiring 51% of shares from major US companies.”[2] He would also reform other things like agriculture by teaching new farming techniques, better housing, and improved equipment. [3]However, this would lead to a buildup of cost and multiple pressures from multiple parties and would lead to the coup in 1970. This coup would fail but would show how dire the economic and political landscape was before the biggest coup in Chile’s history in 1973.
At the same time, a major event was happening between two superpowers. United States of America and the Soviet Union, and this conflict would be called the Cold War. The Cold War began after World War 2 from 1947 to 1991 and would lead to a battle of ideologies: capitalism and communism.[4] The Cold War was fought by “two superpowers that continually antagonized each other through political maneuvering, military coalitions, espionage, propaganda, arms buildups, economic aid, and proxy wars between other nations.”[5] During this time, multiple major historical events happen that would affect the world.
NATO was created in 1949 to stop the spread of communism in Europe and maintained its security against the Soviet Union. [6]In response to the NATO formation, the Soviet Union created its own NATO group called the Warsaw pact. The Warsaw pact was signed in 1955 and it was to stop the size of NATO before it got any closer to the Soviet Union Borders. [7]This would lead to increased tension between the two nations using nuclear weapons. The increased tension would lead to the Cuban Missile crisis on October 16th, 1962. Cuba was a communist-run government by Fidel Castro supported by the Soviet Union.
In October 1962, the United States learned that a nuclear missile site in Cuba was being built and supplied by the Soviet Union.[8] This would lead United States president John F. Kennedy to announce on the radio to the people about the missile, and the threat of the Soviet Union. This event would lead to the height of tension of the Cold War and would lead to the U. S naval block to stop future Soviet Union missiles. The conflict would end with John F. Kennedy meeting with a Soviet ambassador and agreeing to remove the U.S. nuclear missile from Turkey if the Soviet Union remove their missile from Cuba. The Soviet Union would agree and remove the missiles in 1963. [9]This event would leave a mark on the U. S. government and would put the notion to stop this from happening again. The U.S. history of the cold war shows us the reader, the prescriptive of the U.S. government at that time. It gives a unique view of the whole situation and allows us the fill in the pieces of the puzzle.
Salvador Allende would be born on 26 June 1908 to a middle-class family in Tacna of Chile and would study at the National Institute. [10] Allende would later take an interest in politics and would follow the idea of socialism for his political career. Allende would take part in the making of the socialist party (PS) and would run for president under this party but would only get 29 percent of the vote. [11] He would later run in the election of 1970 under the “UP,” the Popular Unity, and would go against the tense political landscape of 1970. During this election period, the CIA and the Soviet Union funded multiple political parties in the 1970 election.
The CIA was monitoring the 1970 election since they fear the Chilean government would become the next Cuban missile crisis. So, they funded the other candidates in the election. The CIA would try anything in its power to stop Allende from getting into power. Nixon met with his top security on September 15, 1970, to come up with plans to stop Allende from getting into power since they believe Allende would be the next Fidel Castro. One plan called Project Track 1 was designed to bribe members of the Chilean government to vote against Allende. Unfortunately, it would fall through with Chilean government officials.
Allende would win the election of 1970 but would face many issues in the country like the economical state of Chile, partially caused by the CIA by placing embargos on copper. Numerous officials documents have been released that show the CIA’s plans and talks to intervene in the election and overthrow the government. This CIA involvement would play a role in the lack of funding in the country during Allende’s term. This would cause multiple protests in Chile and make the situation even more tense leading up to the coup.
On September 11th of 1973, a military coup was launched, led by Chilean general Augusto Pinochet. Augusto Pinochet started his carrier in 1963 and would later be made the army commander-in-chief by President Allende.[12] Based on the Project FUBELT documents, the CIA helped to support the Chilean military to support. Pinochet. President Allende would radio his last speech, calling to his supporters to stop the coup to keep fighting. “Long live Chile! Long live the people! Continue to live with the workers![13] The results would lead to Pinochet being the new leader of Chile and the President ending his own life rather than being captured.
For the next couple of years, Pinochet would rule the government with an iron fist and would cause terror for his people. Anyone willing to oppose his power would be sent to prison to get tortured or killed. One journalist named Javier Rebolledo documented what happen at one of these prisons “forcing prisoners to consume their own excrement, using dogs, mice, and spiders to harm women prisoners’ genitalia, and burning the detainees with boiling wax.” [14]The people of Chile were forced to stay silent and hope that democracy would one day return. The Chilean people’s experience of living under Pinochet’s dictatorship allows us to fully understand the whole picture.
[1] François David, Chile 1973, the Other 9/11: The Downfall of Salvador Allende (Solihull, West Midlands: Helion & Company Limited, 2018), 6.
[2] David, “Chile 1973, the Other 9/11: The Downfall of Salvador Allende” 7.
[3] David, “Chile 1973, the Other 9/11: The Downfall of Salvador Allende” 7.
[4] “Cold War.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War.
[5] “The Cold War.” The Cold War | JFK Library. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-cold-war#:~:text=Soldiers%20of%20the%20Soviet%20Union,proxy%20wars%20between%20other%20nations.
[6] Sloan, and Jocelyn Mawdsley. “North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Encyclopedia of Governance – Credo Reference.” North Atlantic Treaty Organization | Encyclopedia of Governance – Credo Reference, January 1, 1970. https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sagegov/north_atlantic_treaty_organization/0.
[7] “Warsaw Pact: The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide – Credo Reference.” Warsaw Pact | The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide – Credo Reference. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/heliconhe/warsaw_pact/0.
[8] “Cuban Missile Crisis.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed November 13, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-missile-crisis.
[9] “Cuban Missile Crisis.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.”
[10] David, “Chile 1973, the Other 9/11: The Downfall of Salvador Allende” 7.
[11] David, “Chile 1973, the Other 9/11: The Downfall of Salvador Allende” 8
[12] “Augusto Pinochet.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed November 13, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Augusto-Pinochet.
[13] Committee, R. (2013, September 12). President Salvador Allende’s farewell speech. Rochester Committee on Latin America. Retrieved December 11, 2022, from https://rocla.org/countries/chile/president-salvador-allendes-farewell-speech/
[14] Gaestel, Allyn. “Uncovering Dictatorship Violence in Chile.” Inkstick. Inkstick Media, September 12, 2022. https://inkstickmedia.com/uncovering-dictatorship-violence-in-chile/.