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

nothing when compared with what went on in Chile between 1970 and 1973 during a supposedly legal and constitutional revolution. I will limit myself to one example. In its resolution of August 22, the Chamber of Deputies charged that the executive branch of government "has permanently mocked the censure functions of the National Congress by depriving of all real effects its power to dismiss from office those ministers who violate the constitution and the law, orwho commit other crimes or abuses pointed out in the constitution". The congress convicted about a dOzen of Allende's cabinet and other top officiaJs. E'ach minister was immediately reassigned at the head of a different ministry. WhHe action of this sort was no! formally Unconstitutional, it was clearly a violation of traditional practice and against the spirít of the cons!itution. (You may recall that traditional practice was sacred when candidate Allende was seeking congressional support for his election in October, 1970.) AII efforts by Popular Unity and opposition leaders to reach understanding on this and many other issues failed.. The Military: Between 1932 and 1970 the Chilean military was widely and correctly considered a thoroughly professional, non-political organization. The right-wing assassi– nation ofthe army Commander-in-Chief in October 1970 increased the military's determina– tion to support the constitutionally-elected government. Throughout his time in office, President Allende made an open play for the support of the armed forces, by increasing their pay, improving their living conditions and educational opportunities, and byexpan– ding the military budget to by new equipment from abroad. The increase in US military aid to Chile after 1970, regularly condemned by critícs of the coup, was requested by President Allende as part of his effortto win military backing for his government Allende turned down offers of Soviet military aid. It was President Allende himself who first pulled the armed forces into the political arena. Military officers were appointed to leading positions in economic enterprises seized by the state, and important state agencies. Allende asked three top military officers to join his cabinet in November 1972 after a month-Iong, nationwide strike had virtually paralyzed the country. The offic0rs agreed to join the government so thal the strike would end and further civil strife be avoided. Three officers served in Allende's cabinet until the 1973 congressional elections had taken place, and then withdrew. The armed forces immediately crushed an uprising and attempted coup by one regiment in late June. Shortly lhereafter, three top officers again became members of the cabinet, al the president's request. in an effort lo stabilize the nalional situation. On September 11 the coup occurred. I have already argued that to place primary responsibilityfor Allende's insurmountable problems and eventual overthrow on the United States and several enterprises is lo look down one's nose al the Chilean people and their instilulions. That is not say thal the internalional factor is unimporlant. From lhe beginning, most US officials did nol like the Allende government, and ¡;;jO Popular Unity officials liked the US government. Official statements by leaders of eíther country ranged from tentatively friendly to provocative. Unoffícíal US statements were often on the hoslile side. Statements by the main parties which made up the Popular Unity coalition were invariably hostile toward the United States, for decades before and then after Allende's inauguration. Thus US-Popular Unity relations began in an atmosphere of suspicion and uncertainty. It was not unreasonable for US leaders to Ctoubt from the beginning that the Allende government would pay compensation for national ized properties. The problem was not the nationalization of the US copper companies, but Ihe decision lo charge their "excess profits" and thus pay them no compensation. Whether or. no! the companies deserved 60