Chile’s military overthrew President Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973
On September 11, 1973, Chile’s armed forces overthrew President Salvador Allende. The coup ended the democratic government and began the 17-year military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, The Hindu International reports.
On the day of the coup, Allende arrived at the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago. The military, led by Pinochet, demanded that he resign, but the president refused. He addressed the public by radio and said he would remain in office to resist the “reactionary armed forces.”
The armed forces attacked La Moneda from the air and on the ground, and after capturing the palace announced the formation of a new government. The junta reported that Allende had died by suicide. The military imposed a curfew, restricted the operation of mass media and communications, and warned of the death penalty for sabotage.
Political and economic crisis
Allende was elected president in 1970: he received 36.6% of the vote, and Congress approved his candidacy because no contender won an absolute majority. At the time of the coup, the country was experiencing deep political polarization, high inflation, shortages of essential goods, strikes, and disruptions to transport and production.
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In August 1973, Allende appointed Pinochet commander-in-chief of the army. Less than three weeks later, the military removed his government. After the coup, tens of thousands of Allende supporters were detained and harshly interrogated; Pinochet’s period of rule was marked by mass arrests, torture, political executions, disappearances, and exile.
The role of the United States
Washington viewed the rise of a socialist government in Chile with concern. The publication notes that the United States carried out covert actions to weaken Allende and support opposition forces. According to documents released in the United States, the Central Intelligence Agency funded opponents of the government.
In October 1998, Pinochet was arrested in the United Kingdom at the request of a Spanish judge who sought his extradition to Madrid to stand trial on charges of genocide, torture, and kidnapping. In March 2000, he was returned to Chile due to his physical and mental condition, which was deemed to prevent him from standing trial.
