US President Richard Nixon reacted negatively to the election of Salvador Allende in Chile on September 4, 1970, so the CIA worked to promote a “coup climate.”
Photo: archive and AFP agency
Several US congressmen presented a resolution this Thursday apologizing for Washington’s role in Augusto Pinochet’s coup in Chile and calling on the government to declassify more documents relating to the events.
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The lawmakers expressed “deep regret at the contribution of the United States to the destabilization of Chile’s political institutions and constitutional process,” the text said.
Also because he “contributed to the consolidation of the repressive military dictatorship of General Pinochet,” the resolution said the day before the arrival of the Chilean president, the leftist Gabriel Boric, in Washington after attending the UN General Assembly in New York .
When Salvador Allende (1970-1973), after a thousand days in power, wanted to prepare a plebiscite to get out of the country’s acute political and economic crisis, he was overthrown by the forces led by Pinochet, who had the support of the United States Cold War context against Soviet influence.
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At Chile’s request, the State Department in recent weeks declassified fragments of two documents from 1973 showing that former President Richard Nixon knew of military plans to overthrow Allende. But members of Congress believe Biden needs to go a step further.
“Full accountability” requires that “the United States’ remaining files relating to the events before, during and after the military coup be made public and declassified,” the resolution states.
According to declassified files, Nixon ordered the CIA to “make the economy scream” and secretly block Allende’s inauguration. Under the supervision of National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, the CIA sought to promote a “coup climate” and “create the best possible conditions” to bring the military to power.
“We must make it clear that we regret our participation and are committed to supporting Chilean democracy,” independent Congressman Bernie Sanders said in a statement, alongside Democrats Tim Kaine, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Joaquín Castro and one of the supporters of the resolution is Greg Casar.
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Ocasio-Cortez is calling for the United States’ “complicated past” to be recognized and more files released because “many questions remain” and “the Chilean people and the victims of Pinochet’s violence deserve answers.”
The resolution “commends the people of Chile for rebuilding a strong and resilient democracy” and expresses Congress’ commitment to participate in truth-clarification efforts.
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