Opinions

Anniversary of 1973 Chilean coup should prompt reflection

Sept. 11, 1973, is a date that lives on in the minds of many Chileans.

Forty years ago today, then-Chilean Gen. Augusto Pinochet led a military coup that was staged against then-President Salvador Allende, according to the BBC.

The coup occurred due to the massive unpopularity of Allende, who was elected as president in 1970 with only 36 percent of the vote, according to the BBC.

Rising inflation and Allende’s decision to nationalize Chile’s copper industry cast him as an unfit leader for some.

A three-week visit to Cuba’s First Secretary of the Communist Party Fidel Castro was an action that prompted U.S. President Richard Nixon to support aggravating the country’s economic struggles, according to the Associated Press.

Once Pinochet took power, he radically changed Allende’s Socialist government by promoting a free-market economic system, according to ABC News.

In addition, Pinochet banned political parties and closed the Chilean Congress.

Under his rule, more than 40,000 Chileans were killed, tortured or imprisoned, according to ABC News.

Although it has been more than 20 years since Pinochet ruled, many Chileans still feel resentment towards the controversial leader.

According to the BBC, approximately 55 percent of Chileans saw Pinochet’s rule as “bad or very bad.”

In hindsight, it seems that Pinochet was an unfit leader who overextended his authority.

Although the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat may have appeared to be an isolated incident, recent details have indicated it was not.

According to the National Security Archive at George Washington University, Nixon “ordered the CIA to ‘make the [Chilean] economy scream’ and ‘prevent Allende from coming to power.’”

Other public documents show “a possible diplomatic effort to force Chile to withdraw — or be expelled — from the Organization of American States as well as consultations with other Latin American countries,” according to the National Security Archive.

Even though the role of the U.S. in the Chilean coup was more minor than major, Nixon’s statements and the CIA’s action raise larger questions about our country’s role in foreign affairs.

CIA involvement in the overthrows of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq and other leftist leaders occurred somewhat frequently in the 20th century.

As the civil war in Syria continues to evolve each day, the U.S. should be careful in deciding whether to intervene in the crisis.

Installing leaders and supporting government revolutions should be things of the past.

Although Allende may have been ill-equipped to rule, his deposer from office led to many Chilean deaths.

Although Sept. 11 has taken on a new meaning following the 2001 terrorist attacks, citizens of the world should still remember what transpired in Chile.

In order to make better decisions for the future, one must look at the mistakes from the past. This has never been more true.

Shane Newell is a junior journalism major and the opinions editor at the Daily 49er.

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