Salvador Allende

Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean Marxist and Freemason, stated half-jewish, who was President of Chile between 1970 and 1973. In 1973, amid a deepening crisis, the Supreme Court of Chile unanimously denounced the Allende government and the Chilean Congress declared that it violated the constitution, had "the goal of establishing a totalitarian system", and arguably asked the military to intervene. The military under Augusto Pinochet removed Allende in a coup, with debated involvement by the United States Central Intelligence Agency.

Life

Allende's career in Chilean government spanned nearly forty years.As a Socialist Party politician, he became a senator, deputy, cabinet minister and, following the 1970 presidential election, President of Chile. After Allende had won the popular vote, the United States tried unsuccessfully to prevent his taking office. He had also stood for the presidency on three previous occasions, in 1952, 1958 and 1964.

As President, Allende imposed an extremist Marxist program, and his term was marked by civil unrest, strikes and lockouts, American sanctions, complaints from the Chilean Supreme Court, and calls by some opposition members in the legislature for the military to restore order. Less than a month after his condemnation by the Chamber of Deputies of Chile's Resolution of 22 August 1973, on 11 September 1973, a violent military coup d'etat took place, led by the then-Commander of the Army, General Augusto Pinochet; Allende committed suicide during the coup.

External links

• Was Salvador Allende a Racist?
• Conversations with Allende - On being a Freemason and Marxist.