Chile’s Coup and Authoritarian Period

Chile in the 1960’s• Period of social and political tumult• Nueva canción movement

• Three major political forces: Marxists/Socialists, Christian democrats, Conservatives

• Eduardo Frei elected 1964: major social and economic reforms– Agrarian reform to redistribute land– “Chileanization” of copper mines

• (Chile produced 25% of world’s copper)

Unidad Popular

Socialist coalition aimed to establish “via chilena al socialismo”, socialism without armed revolution

Allende Elected -1970

• Allende opposed by USA• Sought to continue socialist reforms but

declared opposition to communism

Allende’s economic reforms

• Continued “Chileanization” of copper, nationalized mines owned by Anaconda and Kennecott in 1971

• Turned over land in large estates, and some factories, to workers

US reaction• Document 1: Sept 15, 1970 handwritten note

taken by CIA director Richard Helms, recording orders of US President Nixon to foster a coup in Chile:

• 1 in 10 chance perhaps, but save Chile!• Worth spending• Not concerned• No involvement of Embassy• $10,000,000 available, more if necessary• full-time job – best men we have• make the economy scream• 48 hours for plan of action

US reaction

• “Not a nut or a bolt shall reach Chile under Allende. Once Allende comes to power we shall do all within our power to condemn Chile and all Chileans to the utmost deprivation and poverty.” – Edward Korry, US Ambassador to Chile

• US began economic blockade of Chile• Intervened with World Bank, IADB to

freeze Chile’s credit

US reaction

• In first year, economy grew 8%, inflation low; but by 1973, inflation topped 300% (500%?)

• Shortage of commercial goods• Society deeply polarized -> strikes, instability• Allende called for a popular referendum on

his economic program, to be held Sept. 11, 1973

After the coup

• Thousands of Chileans, members of Allende’s UP party, were rounded up by armed forces, placed in concentration camps

• The Red Cross estimates that as many as 7000 were held in the National Stadium

In the National Stadium

“Every night we would hear the screams of the workers who were executed in the east wing of the National Stadium in Santiago. The next day, the blood stains were washed away with hoses. Every day, observers would see a pile of shoes that had been worn by the victims of the previous night."

• (Pablo Antillano, Venezuelan journalist in the Morning Star, September 28, 1973. Chile. Libro Negro)

US Military Support

• Report by US Naval Attache Patrick Ryan on Chile’s coup: “close to perfect”.

CIA support

Well through the 1970’s, CIA continued funneling money to torturers and murderers in Pinochet’s government, because, as Secretary of State Kissinger told Gen. Pinochet, “In the United States, as you know, we are sympathetic to what you are trying to do here.”

The victims

• Immediately after coup:– UP members, supporters of leftist parties, anyone

affiliated with Allende– Students, professors, university personnel– Military who opposed to coup– Union members– Family and associates of the above groups

• As dictatorship wore on, growing human rights movement also targeted

Growing resistance

• Catholic Church, human rights groups, students’ groups, trade unions

• First national protest May 11, 1983: “The Time Has Come to Say Enough!”

• 1988 plebiscite on Pinochet rule: Pinochet voted out (53 to 44%)

• Patricio Aylwin, first civilian president since Allende, took office 1990

The Rettig Commission

• Truth Commission, created 1991 to investigate acts ending in death/disappearance

• Concluded in 1996 that:• A total of 3,197 people died or went missing

between September 11, 1973 and March 11, 1990.

• Of these, 1,102 classify as disappeared and 2,095 as deaths.

• Valech Report (2004): 27,000 were incarcerated without trials and subjected to torture

• Latin American Institute on Mental Health and Human Rights (ILAS) estimates 200,000 directly affected by repression

Pinochet’s legacy

• After stepping down as president, remained “Senator for Life”

• Margaret Thatcher: Pinochet "saved Chile for democracy”

• Presided over period of economic growth

Pinochet’s legacy

• Detained in 1998 when visiting Britain, on warrant from Spanish judge

• Eventually released on medical grounds in 2000, returned to Chile

• When died in 2006, 300 criminal charges pending against him in Chile