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

Chilean President's signature during the ceremony 01 Cámpora's assuming 01 office was just one more act 01 demagogy by both partíes. INTENTIONAL FAILURE? Chile's bilateral relations provided a panorama 01 true catastrophe. Even though the Popular Uníty was clíaracterized by its administrative ineptitude and by the lack 01 real government, it is not conceivable that it could reach those extremes. Therelore perhaps it is plausible lo think that it was the result 01 a strategy which coincided with the objectives 01 its general international policies; lurthermore, in terms 01 an external conllict, the Popular Unity could have consolidated its power along the same lines as the Soviet revolution: that ís, through the weakening 01 the armed lorces and the crushing 01 al! opposition, which would have been considered treason to the latherland. III OTHER ASPECTS OF CHILE'S INTERNATIONAL POLICIES The examination of Chile's international policies must also take ¡nto account three aspects 01 singular relevance: economíc integration, the exploitation 01 marine resources, and the organization 01 the Foreign Servíce. THE POLICY OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION The internal economic policies·ol the Popular Unity and the absorbing 01 practically al! external commerce by the State bureaucracy produced as an inevitable result an unprece- . dented delicit in Chile's loreign commerce, reducing not only the exports but also the internal production to a level which became insignificant Under such conditions, the commitments which Chile had made with respect to economic íntegration in LAFTA and the Andean Pact suffered great setbacks to such an extent that the government was lorced to ask authorization lor applying saleguard measures, which was the.same as excluding itself temporarily lrom the process 01 integration. At the same time, 01 course, ít was impossible lor the country to take advantage 01 the broadened market, and more especilically, 01 the subregional market AII 01 this meant that the objectives 01 the process 01 integration were not laithlully carried out by Chile, in whose territory a varied line 01 Andean products was being sold. The aboye mentioned had strong repercussions against Chile's interests, at the same time that it became a clear benelit lor the other participating countries in the scheme 01 integration. In lact, upon Chile's linding itsell outside 01 the market or laced with total inefficiency, the other countries were able to reinlorce their competitive capácity and translorm themselves into suppliers 01 the goods that Chile no longer produced or expor– ted, which has already been seen in the case 01 Peru and even Ecuador. In this way, the emphatic declaration made by the Popular Unity government at the beginning, lo the effect that Chile would respect her commitment to economic íntegration and would give impetus to the process, was in fact false and actually destroyed what had up to that point been part 01 Chile'spermanent policíes and·a prerequisite lor her economic development EXPLOITATION OF MARINE RESOURCES Chile's permanent policy in the delense 01 her maritime claims, such as the mecha– nism 01 the South Pacilic System which supported her, were also affected as a conse– quence 01 the agreements which the Marxist government reached with the Soviet Un ion. Through these agreements, a loreignnaval and marine power, which was not only capable 82