Chile: the balanced view : a recopilation of articles about the Allende years and after

brought down, by the intervention of foreign governments hostile to Allende. On the contrary, and ironically, the substantial subversive assistance Allende recieved from friends like Castro may well have done more to bring matters to a head than anything that less friendly governments might have contemplated, but never carried out. The U.S. Government maintained normal diplomatic, economic, and military relatíons with Chile during the Allende years, eonsistent with t~!3 trend of reducing grant aíd in Latin America generally during that periodo Like other major South America countríes, Chile received no grant military hardware since 1968. Also, there was no significant development lending in Chile afier 1968. Even though Allende sought to have minimum aid from the United States, and sought help from Marxist governments, U.S. aid continued. This inclu– ded development assistance, the Peace Corps, and grant military training as well as mílitary eredits. The continuity of U.S. policy during the Frei and Allende years can be iIIustrated by the figures for grant economic aid and Foreign Military Sales credits for fiscal years 1968 through 1973, the first three falling generally in the Frei period and the last three under Allende: Vear 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 U.S. AID AND MILITARY CREDITS TO CHILE: 1968-1973 Granl Eeonomie Aid $ 3,600,000 2,900,000 3,000,000 1,500,000 700,000 700,000 Military Sales eredits $ 6,000,000 11,000,000 5,000,000 10,000,000 12,400,000 Just as Allende failed catastrophically at home, he lost his reputaBon abroad. Hís nationaltzation of foreign assets without compensation, hís defaulting on sorne debt pay– ments, and his galloping inflation led Chíle to loose its eredit in foreígn money markets. His regime also failed to cooperate in international efforts to deal with the traffic in íllicit drugs of which Chíle was a major produeer. High officíals of his government are reported to have been directly ¡nvolved in the smugglíng of cocaíne and heroin to the Uníted States. Sorne of the profits frQm this illicit trade are reported to have been used to finance the purchase of arms for iIIegal Marxíst groups in Chile.(6) In retrospect. future historians may well judge the Allende regime to be one of the most inept and cynical regimes of recent decades. Apparently millions of Chileans already are prepared to make this judgment. How well is the Present Government Doing? The present military government in Chile was conceived in desperation and brought forth in anguish. For almost three years the Armed Services tried to cooperate with the Allende regime. They had a long tradition of respect for democratic institutions and non– interference in the political arena. But with the breakdown of civil arder, the collapse of the economy, and the crisis of public confidence, the military chiefs felt compelled to act.(7) (6rA Aeport on Drug Trade (Cocaine and Heroin) to Clandestine Markets in the United States Carried. out under the Proteelion ot Offieials ot the Government ot Salvador Allende", in The Theory and Practice 01 Communism: Marxism lmposed on Chile -Allende Regime, Hearings, House Commiltee on Internal Security, 1974, pp. 2734-50. (7)The reasons tor their aelion are enumeraled in Proclamation 5, issued on September 11,1973. 276