<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<div class="container font-size5 content-width3">
<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"> <a
class="domain reader-domain"
href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Chiles-911-Coup-Paved-Way-for-17-Years-of-Tyranny-20180911-0007.html">telesurtv.net</a>
<h1 class="reader-title">Chile's 9/11 Coup Paved Way for 17
Years of Tyranny <br>
</h1>
<div class="meta-data">
<div class="reader-estimated-time">September 11, 2018<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="content">
<div class="moz-reader-content line-height4 reader-show-element">
<div id="readability-page-1" class="page">
<div>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>“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.</p>
<div>
<div id="twitter-97">
<figure>
<blockquote data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<p>45 years ago today a US-backed coup in Chile
deposed democratically elected socialist
President Salvador Allende in support of the
fascist Pinochet.</p>
<p>As the troops closed in Allende spoke these
defiant final words to the Chilean people. <a
href="https://t.co/nL8RNRKVFG">pic.twitter.com/nL8RNRKVFG</a></p>
</div>
— Left Design (@UK_LDC) <a
href="https://twitter.com/UK_LDC/status/1039437218794889216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September
11, 2018</a></blockquote>
</figure>
</div>
</div>
<p>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 <a
href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Chile-Lawmakers-Request-Dismissal-of-Top-Justices-Who-Freed-Pinochet-Agents-20180823-0015.html">Supreme
Court</a>.</p>
<p>On Sunday thousands in Chile marched in Santiago to pay
tribute to Pinochet's victims. </p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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." </p>
<p>Detractors claim his statements amount to a
justification of the coup.</p>
<p>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.” </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://freedomarchives.org/">https://freedomarchives.org/</a>
</div>
</body>
</html>