Sao Paulo
Leftwing congressmen in the United States presented this Thursday (21) a resolution apologizing for Washington’s role in the coup in Chile in 1973. The rupture, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on the 11th, was supported by the American government. That was when General Augusto Pinochet’s violent 17year dictatorship began.
The document, presented on the eve of Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s arrival in Washington, does not require Joe Biden’s signature nor does it have the force of law. This type of text is called a “simultaneous resolution” and is intended to express ideas from both the Senate and the House and must be approved by both chambers.
The document, signed by one of the most important leaders of the American left, independent Senator Bernie Sanders, expresses “deep regret at the US contribution to the destabilization of Chile’s political institutions” and calls for the government to be more transparent about documents from this period.
In addition to Sanders, eight other congressmen supported the submission of the document. Among them is Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria OcasioCortez, star of the American left. In August, she was part of a delegation that visited Brazil, Colombia and Chile to revitalize U.S.Latin American relations.
“The legacy of American engagement in the region hung over our trip, but there was also a real willingness to build a relationship with the United States that transcends the Cold War,” the congresswoman said, according to Sanders’ website.
“If the United States is truly committed to building a trusting relationship with Latin America, we must be honest about our past. “We must help Chile recover by providing as much transparency as possible about the 1973 coup and our role in the rise of Pinochet,” AOC, as the Democrat is known, continued.
In recent weeks, at Chile’s request, the US State Department released public reports sent to then US President Richard Nixon just hours before the coup in Chile. However, members of Congress believe Biden needs to go further and declassify other files.
“Full accountability requires the release of the remaining U.S. records of events before, during and after the military coup 50 years ago,” the resolution says.
Files revealed in 2020 show that Nixon gave the order during a 20minute meeting to prevent his Chilean counterpart Salvador Allende from coming to power.
Other documents, declassified in recent years, revealed that Nixon had acted to disrupt the Chilean economy and that thenNational Security Adviser Henry Kissinger even stated that he wanted to help, not harm, Pinochet. “You did the West a great service by overthrowing Allende,” he said.
The Chilean president, nearing the end of his threeyear term and under great pressure, was poised to call a referendum to resolve the country’s deep political and economic crisis, but was deposed by forces led by Pinochet. The general’s regime would be responsible for thousands of deaths, disappearances and cases of torture.
“We must make it clear that we regret our participation and are committed to supporting Chilean democracy,” Sanders said in a statement. The resolution also congratulates Chileans on “rebuilding a strong and resilient democracy” and expresses the U.S. Congress’s determination to participate in truthclarification efforts.