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Coup In Chile

By VVAW

On September 11, the freely elected government of Salvatore Allende Gossens was overthrown by a violent right-wing military coup. President Allende reportedly committed suicide several hours after the initial bombing of the Presidential palace began. This death was confirmed by Allende's wife who has now obtained political asylum in Mexico. The overthrow of the government culminated three years of unrest in Chile, ever since the Socialist government won the democratic elections of 1970. The aim of the Allende government was to turn Chile into a socialist state in order to provide a better existance for the Chilean people.

Immediately after the elections right-wing opposition, with an assist by the CIA and the US corporations with holdings in Chile, including ITT, continually subverted the attempts of the legitimate government to begin the task of curing the ills of the country. Rich Chileans and middle class people threatened by the advent of Socialism rebeled and began nationwide strikes that crippled the economic policies of the Allende government. These strikes and attempts to topple the government culminated this year in June when 50,000 truckers began a strike to protest the nationalization of the trucking industry. Right-wing doctors and pilots sided with the truckers, causing unrest and food shortages for the working class and peasants who rely on the truckers to deliver food in the 2,600 mile long country.

In the face of food shortages and a crippled economy, the military took its cue from the business interests and staged the coup. Several hours after the coup, the military began rounding up supporters of Allende and summarily killing scores of people protesting the illegal overthrow.

As a result of this coup, there are now only four countries in South America that are not controlled by the military. These governments are installed with the interests of the American businessmen in mind. For example, ITT spent over $1,000,000 in an effort to prevent the election of Dr. Allende in order to protect its vast holding there, which included ownership of 70% of the country's telephone company. Allende expropriated foreign holdings in Chile that were reaping profits from the country and banking them in the US. Allende's aim was to stop this exploitation of Chile.

Now that the military is in power, the nation will shift to the interests fo the wealthy at the expense of the Chilean people. Bishop Henrique Chavez, who was in the US at the time of the coup stated that Allende has left an indelible mark on the Chilean people, in that "the poor have realized that they are important." And the poor and working class people of Chile will learn soon enough that the illegal military junta was installed to return the resources of the country to the wealthy with little or no regard for their welfare. When that time comes the great majority of the Chilean people will fight to restore the continuance of the policies of Socialism instituted by Dr. Allende.