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

THE CHILEAN APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF THE POPULAR UNITY(*) By TOMAS P. MAC-HALE The framework of the ínternatíonal relatíons of Chile suffered drastíc modifications underthe Popular Unity government These were due in part to deliberate changes of policy by the Marxist government on the internal as well as the international leve!. They also obeyed to changes derived from external factors, mainly due to the different orientation followed by other governments, in Latin America as well as in other regions of the world. The present study wíll only refer to the international aspects of the subject. This does not mean to ignore thenatíonal factors and the strong influence they exert in the forming of international policy, but such aspects have already been analyzed in other studies. Nevert– heless it must be pointed out that it ís an irrefutable evidence the fact that the former maladmínístration, the economic crisis, and theadministrative incapacíty seriouslyen– dangered national security during the 1970-1973 triennium. I INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN WORLD CONTEXT At the time when the government of the Popular Unity came into power they established that one of the priority objectives of their international policy would be to open and cultivate relations with a.ll the nations of the world, in this way following the steps of previous governments. Although this reasoning is unobjectionable as such, it is necessary to analyse its concrete meaning in the light 01 natíonal interest The first lact that comeS in sight is that in the case 01 the Alessandri and Frei Administrations this aspiration was condítíoned that such relatíons, especially the commercial ones, should respond to a genuine interest on the part 01 Chile; during the Popular Unity Administration there was only . one political viewpoint, that the consíderation of the national interest should be secondary or non existent. As a consequence of tha!, in practice the objective was restricted lo !,ursuihg relalions with the Social ist countries. EXTENT OF RELATIONS WITH SOCIALIST COUNTRIES The address to the nation 01 the President corresponding to 1973 was abundant in data regarding the generous solidary help given by the Socialisl countries. Nevertheless, it was never clear íf all those commercial transactions, loans and technical assistance responded to a genuine national interest in terms 01 ils necessity, quality and conditions. JusI a decade (')Published in Fuerzas' Armadas y Seguridad Na/lonal (Santiago, 1974). Reprinted with permission from Ediciones Portada. . 75