[News] Chile's 9/11 Coup Paved Way for 17 Years of Tyranny - 45 Year Anniversary

[Anti-Imperialist News]

telesurtv.net 
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Chiles-911-Coup-Paved-Way-for-17-Years-of-Tyranny-20180911-0007.html> 



  Chile's 9/11 Coup Paved Way for 17 Years of Tyranny

September 11, 2018
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This Sept. 11 marks the violent United States-backed overthrow of an 
icon of Latin American socialism, Chile’s Salvador Allende. The end of 
his short presidency marked the beginning of a bloody 17-year-long 
military dictatorship that claimed the lives of thousands.

Allende’s democratic ascension to power represented the possibility for 
popular and socialist movements throughout Latin America to reach state 
power through electoral participation rather than guerrilla warfare. His 
government proved it was possible to reclaim the country’s natural 
resources from transnational corporations and to redistribute wealth for 
the many.

Chileans were economically punished for choosing the first socialist 
president through a well documented economic war that sought to 
destabilize the country. "Make the economy scream," president Richard 
Nixon ordered the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). When that failed 
Allende and the Popular Unity, the political coalition that backed him, 
had to pay with their lives for daring reaffirming Chile's national 
sovereignty.

“Workers of my homeland, I have faith in Chile and its destiny. Other 
men will overcome this sad and bitter moment when treason seeks to 
impose itself,” Allende said in his last address as president.

    45 years ago today a US-backed coup in Chile deposed democratically
    elected socialist President Salvador Allende in support of the
    fascist Pinochet.

    As the troops closed in Allende spoke these defiant final words to
    the Chilean people. pic.twitter.com/nL8RNRKVFG <https://t.co/nL8RNRKVFG>

    — Left Design (@UK_LDC) September 11, 2018
    <https://twitter.com/UK_LDC/status/1039437218794889216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

This year’s commemoration of the victims and survivors of Chile’s 
military dictatorship is marked by the controversial release of 
seven Augusto Pinochet’s agents, who were convicted for crimes against 
humanity, by the Supreme Court 
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Chile-Lawmakers-Request-Dismissal-of-Top-Justices-Who-Freed-Pinochet-Agents-20180823-0015.html>.

On Sunday thousands in Chile marched in Santiago to pay tribute to 
Pinochet's victims.

A day prior Chile’s president Sebastian Piñera, whose supporters openly 
carry images of convicted criminal against humanity Pinochet, said that 
during Allende’s presidency Chile’s democracy was already “deeply sick” 
and that the country was in “absolute chaos.”

In an interview with local media Piñera also expressed his optimism: "I 
am sure the left learned the lesson on how important it is to care for 
unity (and) democracy... The center-right also learned the lesson on how 
important the total commitment to the respect of human rights is."

Detractors claim his statements amount to a justification of the coup.

Alicia Lira, president of the Group of Relatives of Executed Politicians 
also criticized the Piñera administration arguing that “the campaign of 
impunity that Sebastian Piñera has promoted with some Supreme Court 
justices offends the memory of thousands of murdered Chileans.”

-- 
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