In Memory of Allende, 51 Years Later

Chile is going through a leftist revival - with President Gabriel Boric winning the Chilean Presidential Election two years ago, finally ending the neoliberalist and Pinochet-esque route that the nation was taking. In his cabinet, he appointed Maya Fernández Allende as Minister of Defense. What makes her so special is that she is the granddaughter of Former President Salvador Allende, a democratically-elected Socialist Party President of Chile until he was taken out by Pinochet with aid from the United States. His shadow still looms large, over 50 years on - but who is this man?

Presidential Election of 1970

Allende, a well-known Socialist Party founder who held multiple political offices since the age of 29 in 1937, ran for President in the 1970 Presidential elections - for the fourth time. With the backing of Unidad Popular "Popular Unity", a socialist and left-wing internationalist coalition, Salvador Allende won the plurality of 36.61% of the popular vote, a plurality, against 35.27% won by the right-wing supported candidate, Former President Jorge Alessandri and 28.11% going to the Christian Democrats' Radomiro Tomic. In the Chilean Constitution of that time, if no Presidential candidate wins the majority of the popular vote (50%+1), the Congress of Chile: both upper and lower house must vote between the two highest vote getting candidates to choose a winner of the election.

One month after the election, on the 20th of October, while discussions were ongoing between the Christian Democrats and Popular Unity was going on to get the Christian Democrat's support to vote for Allende, General Rene Schneider, Commander in Chief of the Chilean Army was shot in a kidnapping "incident" led by General Roberto Viaux. General Schneider died of his wounds, three days later. His death sparked public outrage and because of that, it ended the military's opposition to Allende's nomination for President - for the time at least. Schneider had always maintained the "constitutionalist" doctrine, which maintained that the army was strictly professional whereby it must defend the country and not interfere in politics. The President at the time, President Eduardo Frei, replaced Schneider with General Carlos Prats - who vowed to continue the Constitutionalist Doctrine. After the death of General Schneider, the Christian Democrats quickly wrapped up negotiations and one day after Schneider's death, they named Allende as the President of Chile.

The Chilean Path to Socialism

During the campaign, Allende campaigned on 40 promises that would include policies that will benefit the lower class, ending rampant inflation, reducing the cost of medication, and adjusting the rent of public housing. He also advocated for a peaceful transition to socialism, in contrast to the violent uprising in Cuba. He named this La vía chilena al socialismo or "The Chilean Path to Socialism". He nationalized large-scale industries like copper mining and implemented government administration to the Chilean healthcare system. He also built Chile by employing folks in State-Owned Enterprises or in many public-works projects that he proposed. He expanded the government's involvement in the economy which helped promote Chilean income equality and improved the economy. A national minimum wage was implemented in Chile and things were looking on the up.

In 1970, inflation was at a jaw-dropping 36.1% while just a year later, inflation went drastically down to 22.1%. Meanwhile, average real wages in Chile ballooned by 22.3% in 1971. Minimum real wage blue-collar workers increased by 56% while during the same time, minimum real wage white-collar workers increased by 23% - lowering income inequality from nearly 50% in 1970 to 35% in 1971. Government expenditures went to 27% of the GDP, an increase from 21% in 1970. More impressive still, inflation was reduced to 14% in the first 9 months in 1971. However, this was not to last.

Coup, Pinochet and death of Allende

In August of 1973, a constitutional crisis occurred whereby the Supreme Court publicly complained about the ineffectiveness of the Allende government to enforce the law of the land. Later that same month, on the 22nd August, the Chamber of Deputies accused the government of unconstitutional acts through Allende's refusal to sign a few constitutional amendments that would have forced his nationalization plan to grind to a halt.

On the 9th of August, Allende appointed Prats as the Minister of Defense. Two days after the condemnation of Allende, Prats resigned from both his positions as Commander in Chief of the Army and as Defense Minister, leading Allende to appoint a certain Augusto Pinochet to take his spot the same day.

In early September, Pinochet, with aid from the United States and the Central Intelligence Agency, staged a coup against Allende and surrounded La Moneda (The Presidential Palace). Just before the capture of the Presidential Palace, Allende gave his farewell to the Chileans on live radio, speaking of his hope for Chile for the future and reaffirmed that his commitment to Chile did not allow him to take an easy way out. The Chief of President Allende's Bodyguard at the time of the events recounted in an interview reported by the University of Chile that Allende wanted to leave the palace last.

He gave each of them a hug and thanked them for "everything". He walked to the end of the line with his Kalashnikov rifle and shouted "Allende doesn't surrender!" before getting shot and getting killed. All these took place on September 11 1973, leading many to say that this was "The Other 9/11". What ensued was a brutal dictatorship and effectively the death of Chilean democracy and the rise of the junta until the 1989 elections.

Tribute to Allende

As we remind ourselves of the September 11th attacks on the Twin Towers, let us keep on remembering the ever loving memory of Salvador Allende - a leftist who never gave up in his quest for the Presidency and his reforms that transformed Chile. Hold onto the promise that you can make a difference in your communities. Although his death was very premature, we know one thing is for certain: Allende doesn't surrender!