June 26 marked the birthday of former president Salvador Allende, who died in the coup. Salvador Allende, the iconic left-wing leader and one of Chile’s best known presidents, was born on this day on June 26, 1908. The tragic fate of his government, overthrown in a right-wing
coup in 1973, changed the history of the country—and region—forever.
On September 11, Allende’s socialist was toppled by a U.S.-backed military coup led by Augusto Pinochet, barely three years after being elected.
Allende wasn’t the only casualty of the coup, as thousands of Chileans were subsequently tortured, jailed and killed by the military regime. Democracy in Chile was irreparably altered, and even now the country continues to be scarred by one of the darkest eras of fear and repression on the continent.
Social Progress Under Allende
After winning the 1970s presidential elections in Chile, the left-wing Salvador Allende worked toward social reforms and justice, nationalizing natural resources, building homes for the poor and focusing on better access to health and education.
Allende fought until the last hours of his life to defend the social gains and constitutional order. On his last speech, just minutes before the military bombed the presidential palace, he gave Chileans one last message of hope.
“I will not resign. Placed in a historic transition, I will pay the loyalty of the people with my life. And I tell them I have the certainty that the seed that we have planted in the dignified conscience of thousands and thousands of Chileans will not be shriveled. You have the power, they can destroy us, but social progress cannot be stopped neither by crime nor by force. History is ours, and people make it happen.”
Military Repression
Allende’s own army chief, Augusto Pinochet, led the coup and ordered his forces to march through the streets of Santiago, intimidating the local populace and entering La Moneda Presidential Palace by force.
Pinochet later consolidated power with the support of the United States and ruled the country with an iron fist for 17 years, until 1990. He jailed an estimated 80,000 people, tortured 30,000 and murdered around 3,200. Only 75 of more than a thousand of his former agents are serving prison sentences for human rights violations.
U.S. Intervention
With the success of the 1969 revolution in Cuba, leftist movements in Latin America were emboldened, and Washington’s Manichean Cold War world-view translated into fears—and policies—that affected much of South America.
As declassified CIA documents show, the government of Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger influenced the military to overthrow Allende, and provided resources to deter any leftist movements in the country through the CIA.
As fears of the “Red Scare” grew, Washington opposed any form of socialist gains on the belief they would affect U.S. economic and political interests in the hemisphere.
Dubbed Operation Condor, a brutal campaign of political repression and state terror took hold of the continent, as the United States sought to obliterate leftist movements opposed to Washington-backed military coups in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay — and Chile.
Modern Democracy
More that 25 years since the end of the dictatorships, social movements in Chile are still demanding that the remnants of the Pinochet regime – including the constitution passed in 1980 – be overturned…
A few minutes before when Salvador Allende was killed.
About 3200 people were killed,
38,300 people were illegally arrested and tortured,
238 children were tortured (those children ages were under the 15 years old),
the trained dogs and rats were used on the arrested women and children during the torture.
Those numbers is the result of Chile military coup d’état, which made against to Salvador Allende by Augusto Pinochet, who was supported by US former Foreign minister Henry Kissinger and CIA.
And Augusto Pinochet’s 18 years dictatorship has gain 30 million dollars wealth to himself. Now, Santiago appellate court has ordered the state to pay around $7.5m (£4.8m) to 30 former political prisoners.(*) All those happened in the past, are happening today (in different names and forms) and will happen at tomorrow. If you ask why it will happen at next; here is the answer.
Those, who were truly responsible for what happened, are still doing what their wants on the planet with the triumphant manner.
Or if I mistake, probably I broadcast to you from the wrong planet news.
unnecessary news from earth 