Absolutely to be read as a direct continuation of Part 8; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2025/07/lets-all-go-to-movies-pt8.html
The instability, repression and violence of Brazil's Fifth Republic was not limited to Brazil. It spread across South America, an area sometimes referred to as; "The Southern Cone."
Politics in the Americas at that time was dominated by two Argentineans; Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Juan Perón.
Che Guevara was a medical student who embraced Marxism during his gap-year travels across Latin America. After joining with Cuban brothers Fidel Castro and Raúl Castro in Mexico he led a Guerrilla army of Cuban Peasants to overthrow the Cuban government in The Cuban Revolution (1959). After spending time as President of Cuba's Central Bank and Cuba's Minister for Industry Che Guevara travelled throughout Africa and Latin America attempting to spread the Cuban model of Communist Revolution. Something which itself was based on the Maoist model of Communist Revolution which saw the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) come to power in China in 1949.
Juan Perón was an Argentine military officer and later politician. He was a classic Fascist in the mould of Getúlio Vargas in Brazil and the Sanation regime of Jósef Piłsudski in Poland. That is to say that Juan Perón was a Socialist who believed in Nationalism rather than Marxism. With both Communists and Fascists treating each other as their mortal enemy it's easy to forget that they are both Socialist siblings rather than separate, let alone opposing, ideologies. Probably the most famous Fascist party is the German Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler. However the full name of Hitler's party is actually the; "National Socialist German Worker's Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei)." "Nazi" is really just a nickname, a shortening of; "National Socialist."
Against the backdrop of The Great Depression (1929-1945) Argentina experienced it’s; "Infamous Decade" - really a 15 year period of political instability marked by weak governments, electoral fraud and corruption scandals. Alongside the poverty of The Great Depression and the radical politics that swept much of the World at the time a key driver of the instability was the issue of whether Argentina should join The Second World War (1939-1945) on the side of the Allied Powers or remain neutral. Britain wanted Argentina to remain neutral as that neutrality meant its supply ships to Britain would not be attacked by the Axis Powers while the United States wanted Argentina to formally join the war by its side.
Prior to The Second World War Juan Perón, as a Colonel in the Argentine Army, had been assigned to Fascist Italy to study mountain warfare and later served as a military attaché to Nazi Germany. Having fully embraced European Fascism when he returned to Argentina at the outbreak of war Juan Perón joined the United Officers Group (GOU) - a secret society of Fascist Argentine military officers. Assigned to the Labour Department of the Argentine government Juan Perón forged strong links between the GOU and Argentina's Trade Unions, the traditionally allies of Communists.
In 1937 Roberto Ortiz was elected as Argentina's President amid widespread allegations that the election had been rigged by wealthy landowners, similar to the Donatário in Brazil. In 1943 Roberto Ortiz resigned due to ill health making his Vice-President Ramón Castillo President. The Trade Unionists hated Ramón Castillo because the viewed him as an illegitimate representative of the landowners. While the GOU hated Ramón Castillo because they thought he would bring Argentina into The Second World War against their beloved Axis Powers.
So on June 4th 1943 (4/6/1943) the GOU and the Trade Unions overthrew the government of Ramón Castillo in a Military Coup which they dubbed; "The 1943 Argentine Revolution." Rather than taking power immediately Juan Perón let Pedro Ramírez serve as leader of the Military Dictatorship. In 1944 Pedro Ramírez was himself ousted by the GOU after attempting to break-off diplomatic ties with the Axis Powers. That left Edelmiro Farrell as leader of the Military Dictatorship, tasked with overseeing the end of The Second World War and returning Argentina to civilian rule.
It was at the 1946 Argentine Election, the first since the 1943 Coup, that Juan Perón made his move. Sweeping to power on the unique platform of; "Perónism." This was billed as a third way of Socialism; one which promised to bring vaguely defineed; "Social Justice" to Argentina's poor but rejected both Marxism and Capitalism as the way to do that. Instead it seemed to be built exclusively around the Cult of Personality of Juan Perón and his wife Eva "Evita" Perón. With Juan and Eva Perón being the almost godlike Father and Mother of the Argentinean people, capable of magically solving all of their ills.
In practice this really meant a highly nationalised, centralised economy where all decisions were based on the whims of the godlike Father and Mother. In order to keep the whims of the godlike Father and Mother absolute Perónism was also extremely isolationist and protectionist. Perón's Argentina was one of only a handful of nations which didn't sign up to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), designed to eliminate all barriers to trade such as Tariffs and Import Quotas.
During his first term Juan Perón really nationalised all of Argentina's industry and carried out a period of massive public works. Similar to the policies followed by Getúlio Vargas and Juscelino Kubitschek in Brazil. Any Argentinean public money that hadn't been used for nationalisation or public works Juan Perón simply gave away to his supporters, with some 70% of the population receiving some sort of welfare payment.
By the end of his first term in 1951 Juan Perón had succeeded in completely bankrupting the Argentinean economy, despite its neutrality during The Second World War leaving it in a very strong position. However Juan Perón had bankrupted Argentina by just giving a lot of people a lot of free money. Also while he'd waited to take power through a democratic election Juan Perón was still the Army Colonel who'd overthrown a civilian government to install a Military Dictatorship. So his term as President was marked by the silencing of any and all opposition to him. As a result Juan Perón was able to win a second term as President, securing some 30% of the vote.
During his second term Juan Perón's mismanagement of the Argentine economy continued and his efforts to silence any opposition to him became increasingly oppressive. By September 1955 Juan Perón's supporters in the military, government and the Catholic Church decided that he couldn't be allowed to destroy Argentina any further and Juan Perón himself was deposed in a Coup d'état conducted by the military and civil society groups. The; "Revolución Libertadro (Liberating Revolution)." Juan Perón fled into exile in Fascist Spain while Eva Perón's corpse was sent into exile in Italy.
From exile Juan Perón was able to maintain his Cult of Personality and influence over Argentine politics. Turning the next 30 years of Argentine politics into an effort to protect the nation from Perónism.
When Argentina returned to civilian rule through the 1958 Election Arturo Frondizi became President due to Juan Perón lending him his support. As a result Arturo Frondizi was overthrown in a military coup in 1962. When Argentina returned to civilian rule in 1963 the election was won by another of Juan Perón's proxies, Arturo Illia. As a result Arturo Illia was overthrown in a military coup in 1966. What the subsequent Military Dictatorship dubbed the; "Revolución Argentina (Argentine Revolution)."
Perónism is really the replacing all politics with the Cult of Personality of the Peróns. So you get different strains of Perónism like leftwing Perónism, rightwing Perónism etc. It can really be used in the same way that the term; "Politics" is used in other countries and cultures.
The Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) which served as Juan Perón's proxy under Arturo Frondizi and Arturo Illia represented the more socially liberal side of Argentine politics. One thing which really undermined Juan Perón's second term was his decision to legalise both divorce and prostitution, outraging the Catholic Church. The supporters which Juan Perón lent to the UCR were from the Trade Union movement, people who would otherwise be Communists.
The Military Dictatorship which followed the 1966 Argentine Revolution was much more socially conservative. It really modelled itself on the classically Fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco in Spain, which was closely linked to the Catholic Church. It was Franco's regime in Spain which gave Juan Perón refuge after he was exiled in 1955. So while Argentina's Military Dictatorship objected to Juan Perón giving all of Argentina's money away it never really fully rejected him on ideological grounds.
By 1971 the third leader of the Military Dictatorship, Alejandro Agustín Lanusse, had decided that maintaining a dictatorship to keep Juan Perón out of power was unsustainable. So he oversaw Argentina's return to democracy in 1973. As with all previous elections since 1955 that election was won by one of Juan Perón's proxies, Héctor José Cámpora. As President Héctor José Cámpora allowed Juan Perón to return from exile in June 1973. In July 1973 Héctor José Cámpora resigned in order to allow Juan Perón to replace him as President at a special election in September 1973.
Juan Perón died while President in July 1974, at the age of 78. He was replaced by his Vice-President, his third wife Isabel Perón. Having absolutely no qualification other than being Juan Perón's wife, not even as popular as his first wife Eva Perón, Isabel Peron was an extremely weak leader.
In the time since Juan Perón was deposed in 1955 and his death in 1974 the region and particularly the United States had seen massive upheaval. The 1959 Cuban Revolution had led to The Cuban Missile Crisis (1961). The US was still fighting a (paused) war to stop Chinese Maoist style Communism spreading throughout the Korean Peninsula. It had fought and lost a war against Chinese Maoist style Communism in Vietnam. Cuba and particularly Che Guevara had been spreading similar Chinese Maoist style Communism across Latin America. With Juan Perón's return that Maoist Guerrilla warfare had even arrived in Argentina. With the People's Revolutionary Army (Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo/ERP) and The Montoneros declaring war in the Tucumán Province.
As a result there was widespread fear within Argentine society and the Argentine military that Isabel Perón was too weak a leader to unite the Nationalist and Marxist Socialist factions under the banner of Perónism as Juan Perón had done. Resulting in a Communist revolution in Argentina.
So in March 1976 the Argentine Military overthrew the government of Isabel Perón and installed another Military Dictatorship; The National Reorganisation Process (Proceso de Reorganización Nacional/PRN). While the United States did not plan and support Argentina's 1976 Coup as it had done with Brazil's 1964 Coup and Operation: Brother Sam it was informed of it months in advance and gave its approval. On the condition that it didn't result in so many deaths that US public opinion would turn against it. Killing is fine, just as long a US voters don't get to see the killing.
In 1939 José Félix Estigarribia was elected President of Paraguay. In February 1940 there was a failed coup to depose him. In response José Félix Estigarribia suspended the Constitution, dissolved the Legislature and gave himself emergency powers, becoming a Dictator. In September 1940 José Félix Estigarribia was killed in a plane crash with Higinio Morínigo replacing him as Dictator.
Higinio Morínigo was another classic Fascist in the mould on Getúlio Vargas in Brazil and Jósef Piłsudski in Poland. He was particularly closely allied with Juan Perón in Argentina. Following the defeat of Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy during The Second World War Fascism became very unfashionable, particularly amongst the Allied Powers including the United States.
In 1947 a Coup was attempted to overthrow Higinio Morínigo. It failed resulting in The Paraguayan Civil War (1947). Thanks to the support of Juan Perón's Argentina and the efforts of one Army officer in particular, Alfredo Stroessner, Higinio Morínigo emerged victorious from the civil war. However he was forced to return to nominal democracy and support Juan Natalicio González as his Colorado Party's and the sole candidate for the Presidency. Once Juan Natalicio González was sworn in as President Higinio Morínigo was forced into exile in Juan Perón's Argentina.
A period of great instability then followed which saw Paraguay have four Presidents in five years. All being quickly deposed due to infighting within the Colorado Party. In 1954 the then President Fredrico Chaves attempted to strengthen the National Police to protect him from being overthrown. It prompted Alfredo Stroessner to overthrow him in a Military Coup, appointing Tomás Remoro as interim President. Like Juan Perón Alfredo Stroessner waited until elections in 1954 to assume the Presidency and then establish himself as a Dictator under the guise of democractic mandate. Like José Félix Estigarribia had done in 1939. When Juan Perón was deposed in Argentina in 1955 he escaped into exile aboard a Paraguayan gunboat provided by Alfredo Stroessner.
Between 1932 and 1935 Paraguay fought a war with its neighbour Bolivia over the Gran Chaco region which borders the two countries; The Chaco War (1932-1935).
The First World War (1914-1918) is considered the first modern war. The first war fought with technological advances such as machine guns, armoured vehicles and aeroplanes which rendered existing military tactics suicidally obsolete. The Chaco War was the first modern war fought in the Americas. As with the First World War its results were absolutely devastating on all sides. Bolivia saw around 2% of its entire population killed while Paraguay saw around 3% of its entire population killed.
This astonishing loss of life saw the populations of both countries lose faith in the political system that had led them into the war. Rather like how the First World War brought down the Russian Empire, the German Empire, the Ottoman Empire and led to major political changes within the British Empire, such as the right to vote being extended to all. Including women.
In the defeated nation, Bolivia, this loss of faith in the political system led to a revolution; The Bolivian Revolution (1952). In May 1951 Victor Paz Estenssoro was elected President on behalf of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario/MNR). A coalition of centre-left Liberals and revolutionary Communists they wanted to do away with the landowning oligarchs, similar to the Donatário in Brazil, by nationalising farmland and the all important Tin mines. Then allowing the people to choose their own future by introducing Democracy with Universal Suffrage, like Britain had done in the wake of the First World War.
The Bolivian Donatário and the Bolivian Military then staged a Coup d'état to prevent Victor Paz Estenssoro and the MNR taking power. In April 1952 the Bolivian National Police sided with the MNR and overthrew the Military Dictatorship allowing Victor Paz Estenssoro to finally become President.
The MNR then remained in power until 1964. However due to Presidents not being allowed to serve consecutive terms Victor Paz Estenssoro was forced to alternate his Presidency with Hernán Siles Zuazo effectively standing-in between 1956 and 1960. In his second term Victor Paz Estenssoro changed the Constitution to allow elected Presidents to serve unlimited consecutive terms. Victor Paz Estenssoro then decided to run for a third term. This forced his Trade Unionist Vice-President Juan Lechin to abandon his plans to run for President. That fractured the centre-left Liberal and Communist alliance which formed the MNR with the Communist faction led by Juan Lechin formally quitting the MNR in December 1963.
This split saw the Communist Trade Unions go on strike in the all important Tin mines in an effort to bring down Victor Paz Estenssoro's government. When Victor Paz Estenssoro ordered the arrest of striking miners they responded by taking hostages at the Catavi mine, including four US citizens.
With Victor Paz Estenssoro having proved that he would keep the MNR on the centre-left Liberal side of Communism the United States had begun rewarding him from 1960 including with a massive, 600%, increase in support under The Alliance for Progress Program. Which had been launched by President John F. Kennedy in response to The Cuban Revolution (1959) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1961).
The split between Victor Paz Estenssoro and Juan Lechin caused the United States to fear that Juan Lechin's Revolutionary Party of the National Left (Partido Revolucionario de Izquierda Nacionalista/PRIN) would defeat the MNR at the 1964 election and Bolivia would fall to Communism. A version of Communism which liked taking US citizens hostage. This shared fear along with the fear of losing massive amounts of US aid prompted the Bolivian Military to overthrow Victor Paz Estenssoro's government in The 1964 Bolivian Coup d'état.
At around 18:30 on 30/10/25 (UK date) I'm not sure when I'll be able to pick this up again.
Edited at around 18:35 on 4/11/25 (UK date) to tidy the above and copy & paste;
The 1964 Coup installed a Military Dictatorship with two co-leaders; René Barrientos and Alfredo Ovando Candía. In 1966 Bolivia nominally returned to Democracy with René Barrientos being elected President after running largely unopposed. Alfredo Ovando Candía always assumed that he would replace René Barrientos in similar fashion at the 1970 election.
The 1964 Coup and the 1966 elections did nothing to quell the militancy of the Communist Trade Unions and the Peasant Leagues demanding the nationalisation of farmland. In 1966 Che Guevara travelled from Mozambique to Bolivia's Cordillera Province and established the National Liberation Army of Bolivia (Ejército de Liberación Nacional de Bolivia/ELN). A Guerrilla army attempting to overthrow the Bolivian government, just how the Cuban government had been overthrown in 1959. The Bolivian government was able to swiftly defeat the ELN with Che Guevara being captured and killed in October 1967.
In 1968 René Barrientos' Interior Minister, Antonio Arguedas disappeared from Bolivia with Che Guevara's diary. He then reappeared in Cuba and announced his defection. Declaring that René Barrientos and many in his inner-circle were paid CIA agents. Antonio Arguedas' claim that René Barrientos was an illegitimate Dictator in place to serve America's interests further fuelled the militancy of the left. Forcing René Barrientos to shift his policies ever further to the left. Until he was conveniently killed when a helicopter he was travelling in hit power lines and crashed in April 1969. It has long been speculated on whether that was an assassination.
René Barrientos' death saw his Vice-President, Luis Adolfo Siles, assume the Presidency. He then endorsed the Mayor of La Paz Armando Escobar Uría as candidate at the 1970 election. This outraged Alfredo Ovando Candía who led The September 1969 Coup d'état which put him back in charge of a Military Dictatorship.
Forever linked to René Barrientos through their co-leadership of the 1964-1966 Military Dictatorship Bolivia's left saw Alfredo Ovando Candía's rule as an extension of René Barrientos' rule. An illegitimate Dictator who was only in place to serve America's interests. Alfredo Ovando Candía followed René Barrientos in trying to quell this anger by moving his policies ever further to the left. This did nothing to quell the anger of those on the left but made those on the right who'd supported the 1964 Coup ever more angry.
By October 1970 the Bolivian military all agreed that Alfredo Ovando Candía had to go, launching a Coup d'état against him. However they were not able to agree on whether Alfredo Ovando Candía had to go because he was too leftwing or because he was too rightwing. So The 1970 Coup d'état really saw the Bolivian military fight a small civil war against itself. Believing the Coup had been successful Alfredo Ovando Candía stood down. Only for the leftwing faction of the Bolivian military to reassert itself under the leadership of Juan José Torres.
Juan José Torres then became President and immediately started implementing policies which were Communist in all but name. He established the People's Assembly (Asambela del Pueblo) made up of the Communist miners, teachers, students and Peasants. Something which in Communist Russia would be referred to as a; "Proletarian Council." The type of; "Soviet" from which the; "Soviet Union" derives its name. He also expelled the US Peace Corp and nationalised the Bolivian property of a lot of US Corporations, such as Matilde Zinc Mine. In response the US led a financial blockade against Bolivia with the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank refusing to provide the nation with loans.
Less than a year into his (unelected) Presidency Juan José Torres was deposed in The September 1971 Coup d'état in which was backed by both the United States and the Brazilian Military Dictatorship of Emilio Garrastazu Médici. The 1971 Coup installed Hugo Banzer as the leader of a Military Dictatorship.
In 1965 Che Guevara's brand of Communist revolution spread to Uruguay with the founding of the National Liberation Movement - Tupamaros (Movimento de Liberación Nacional - Tupamaros/MLN-T). A Guerrilla army attempting to overthrow the Uruguayan government. However they differed from other Che Guevara inspired groups in that they were focused in urban areas rather amongst the rural Peasants so fetishised by Che Guevara and Chinese Maoist Communism.
The Uruguayan government of President Juan María Bordaberry fought the Tupamaros, although not as forcefully enough for the liking of the Uruguayan military which was being supported by the United States through the School of the Americas. Under threat of a full military Coup d'état Juan María Bordaberry reached an agreement with the Uruguayan military in June 1973 which saw him continue as nominal Head of State but allowed the Uruguayan military free reign in the running of the country. Creating what was known as a; "Civic-Military Dictatorship."
In the 1950's the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century still hadn't arrived in Peru. The only two economic activities were farming controlled by a small group of landowners similar to Brazil's Donatário and the La Brea y Pariñas Oil Field controlled by the US Oil Company now known as ExxonMobil (Esso).
In 1962 Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre was elected as Peru's President. In 1930 Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre had founded the Peruvian American Popular Revolutionary Alliance Party (PAP). The American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) is a continental political party with branches across The Americas. It is part of the Socialist International (SI), a global network of political groups attempting to establish a global Socialist society. Although doing through democratic, rather than revolutionary means; Democratic-Socialism.
The PAP viewed one of the first steps towards establishing that Socialist society as being the ending of Donatário-style farming. As founder and leader of PAP Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre spent most of the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's either in prison in Peru or in exile from Peru. His victory in the 1962 election was overturned by Peru's equivalent of the Donatário who mounted The July 1962 Coup d'état and established a Military Dictatorship.
The 1962 Coup brought Che Guevara's brand of Communist revolution to Peru with the establishment of the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional/ELN) and the Revolutionary Left Movement (Movimiento de la Izquierda Revolucionaria/MIR). By 1965 the Peruvian military had defeated both groups in their efforts to overthrow the Peruvian government. However the experience didn't see the Peruvian military grow to hate them in the same way as similar Guerrilla wars had hardened the militaries in neighbouring countries. Instead it drove the Peruvian military to become sympathetic to the revolutionaries' cause. The need to overthrow the Donatário class for the benefit of the poor.
In 1963 Peru nominally returned to Democracy with the election of Fernando Belaúnde, the runner-up to Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre in the 1962 election. Pretty much from the moment it began operation in 1890 Peru and ExxonMobil had been in dispute over the La Brea y Pariñas Oil Field. How much of the revenue it generated belonged to Peru and how much to ExxonMobil.
In 1968 Fernando Belaúnde reached an agreement with ExxonMobil. This agreement was widely considered to be wildly unfair to Peru, not least because it saw ExxonMobil retain ownership of the Talara Refinery despite that being illegal under Peruvian law. The scandal worsened when it was revealed that Fernando Belaúnde's government had failed to publish Page 11 of the agreement in order to hide the low rates the Talara Refinery was being allowed to pay for oil from La Brea y Pariñas.
Outraged by what they saw as the Donatário class selling out Peru's poor to a US corporation the Peruvian military deposed Fernando Belaúnde in The October 1968 Coup d'état. This established a Military Dictatorship calling itself the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces (Gobierno Revolucionario de la Fuezra Armada) headed by Juan Velasco Alvarado.
While he named it; "Perunamiso" Juan Velasco Alvarado really adopted Perónism. A third way towards Socialism which rejected both Capitalism and Communism. A highly nationalised and centralised economy distributing its wealth as the leader saw fit. Peru's Military Dictatorship immediately Nationalised the La Brea y Pariñas Oil Field, creating PetroPerú and reigniting tensions with the US. It went on to Nationalise really all industry in Peru. Creating similar State Owned Enterprises (SOE's) such as PescaPeru for the fishing industry, CentrominPerú for the mining industry, MineroPeru for the mineral industry, SiderPerú for the Iron and Steel industry and so on.
As with Perónism in Argentina Perunamiso quickly bankrupted Peru. So in 1975 the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces declared a Second Phase of its revolution. Overthrowing Juan Velasco Alvarado in The August 1975 Coup d'état, replacing him with Francisco Morales Bermúdez.
This Second Phase was really all about undoing the economic damage caused by the First Phase. Reversing the Perunamiso reforms in return for financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Arguably Peru hadn't achieved true Democracy prior to the 1962 Coup and the First Phase of Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces had certainly been a repressive Military Dictatorship. However in the process of having to reverse populist Perunamiso reforms the Second Phase became even more repressive. Just as Argentina had become ever more repressive in its efforts to stop Juan Perón returning to power.
Between around 1932 and 1972 Ecuador’s politics was dominated by José María Velasco Ibarra who was a true Populist. Never having anything close enough to a policy to count as either rightwing or leftwing the only thing that José María Velasco Ibarra ever seemed to have to offer was his ability to appeal to the masses as the one who would save them from their mysterious oppressors. As he once said; "Give me a balcony and I will become President!"
José María Velasco Ibarra was able to become President in 1934. Only to be deposed by the Ecuadorian military in 1935, after he suspended Congress and attempting to rule as a Dictator. José María Velasco Ibarra became President again in 1944 and was again deposed by the military after suspending the Constitution to rule as a Dictator. He became President again in 1952 and not only managed to serve his full term he was also re-elected in 1960 and again in 1968. All of this was achieved by doing political favours for different special interest groups rather than having anything that would resemble a policy, let alone an ideology.
In 1967 oil was discovered in Ecuador for the first time, with production beginning in 1972. With the Ecuadorian military not wanting to risk the nation's new found oil wealth being controlled by a Populist like José María Velasco Ibarra or the equally Populist Assad Bucaram they instead launched The 1972 Coup d'état. Establishing a Military Dictatorship in the country under Guillermo Rodríguez and, from 1976, Alfedo Poveda.
At around 19:20 on 4/11/25 (UK date) I've got one more country of coups to pick up tomorrow.
Edited at around 17:20 on 5/11/25 (UK date) to copy & paste;
In 1970 Salvador Allende was elected President of Chile. Representing the Popular Unity (Unidad Popular/UP) coalition which included the Socialist Party of Chile (Partido Socialista de Chile/SP) and the Communist Party of Chile (Partido Comunista de Chile/PCCh). Salvador Allende was a proud Marxist. He was elected on a platform called; "The Chilean Way To Socialism (La vía chilean al socialismo) intended to establish Chile as a Communist nation. Having been elected there was no need Salvador Allende to achieve power through a revolution.
Initially the United States through the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) attempted to block Salvador Allende from becoming President. While he had received the most votes, by a small margin, in the election Salvador Allende had fallen short of the 50% majority required to become President outright. Only receiving 36.6% of the vote compared to the 35.3% won by his closest rival, Jorge Alessandri.
Rather than holding a run-off vote Chile's constitution required that Congress chose the President from the candidates of the two parties which had received the largest share of the vote. The tradition being that they chose the candidate which had received the largest share of the vote, regardless of how small their share or the margin was.
However with that being a tradition rather than a rule the CIA secretly pressured members of Chile's Congress to choose Jorge Alessandri as President instead. In the event of that so-called; "Track 1" failing the CIA also pursued a; "Track 2." That involved trying to convince the Chilean military to carry out a Coup d'état to prevent Salvador Allende taking up the office of President. Rather like how the Bolivian military had prevented Victor Paz Estenssoro from taking up the office of President in 1951 or the Brazilian military had tried to prevent João Goulart from being inaugurated as President in 1961.
Like the Legality Campaign which saw João Goulart become President in Brazil the main block to the CIA's Track 2 was the head of the Chilean military René Schneider. He very firmly believed that if a President was elected, either directly or by Congress, then it was the military's role to ensure they were inaugurated as President. So the CIA attempted to kidnap and depose René Schneider, not once but three times. During the third attempt René Schneider was killed in a shoot-out with his kidnappers. His death ended any and all support for either Track 1 or Track 2 of the CIA's plan. Salvador Allende was inaugurated as President nine days later.
Upon assuming the Presidency Salvador Allende immediately began pursuing an aggressively anti-capitalist policy. For example he withdrew from GATT. He also broke with the Organisation of American States (OAS) to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba. In 1971 Cuba's President Fidel Castro made a week long state visit to Chile. He got on so well with Salvador Allende that he ended up staying for a month. Salvador Allende also visited Soviet Russia and agreed a US$400million line of credit with the Soviet Union.
The Chilean Way To Socialism centred around the widespread Nationalisation of the Chilean economy along Communist lines. Particularly the Mining, Banking, Farming and Education sectors. Salvador Allende also nationalised Chile's telephone network which had previously been owned by ITT Corp. The US corporation which caused so much trouble for João Goulart in Brazil. In order to manage this Communist-style centrally planned economy Chile established Project Cybersyn. A nationwide system in which economic information was fed into a central computer in real time through a network of Telex machines known as; "Cybernet."
The Chilean Way To Socialism was an absolute disaster. Within two years inflation was running at 140% and the Chilean economy was so deep in recession it was shrinking (negative growth) by 5.6% per year. It also defaulted on its debts. This economic implosion led to the severe shortages of every day necessities such as rice, beans, sugar and flour.
Despite his claims to be a Marxist who was committed to Democracy Salvador Allende quickly began behaving like a Dictator. For example amid the implosion of the economy there was a wave of protests and strike action, notably the 1972's Trucker's Strike. In response Salvador Allende ordered the Chilean military and his armed supporters to seize the trucks and break the strike. Despite Chile's Courts ruling that it was illegal to do so. Something which emerged as a hallmark of Salvador Allende's Presidency. Whenever the Courts or Congress would prevent him from doing something he would just go ahead and do it anyway.
In August 1973 Chile's Supreme Court openly complained about Salvador Allende's failure to uphold the law of the land by not abiding by rulings of Chile's Courts. This prompted to Congress to pass a resolution condemning Salvador Allende for ruling as a Dictator by disregarding the separation of powers and ignoring the law as implemented by the Courts and Congress.
Salvador Allende suggested ending this constitutional crisis by letting the public decide the accusation in a referendum. He intended to announce this in a speech to the nation of September 11th 1973 (11/9/1973). However he was prevented from doing so when the Chilean military led by Augusto Pinochet launched The 1973 Coup d'état. So instead Salvador Allende addressed the nation to announce his resignation. Before committing suicide with a rifle gifted to him by Fidel Castro.
Unlike the 1964 Coup in Brazil there is nothing to indicate that the United States directed Chile's 1973 Coup. However as with the 1976 Coup in Argentina they certainly had advance knowledge that it was going to happen and supported it by quickly recognising it as legitimate. It's hard not to see the 1973 Coup as a natural extension of the attempted Coup that the United States directed in 1970.
Following The 1973 Coup d'état Chile was ruled by the Government Junta of Chile (Junta de Gobierno de Chile) which was made up of representatives of the Army, Navy, Airforce and Police. In December 1974 the junta appointed Augusto Pinochet, the representative of the Army, as President. The Government Junta of Chile continued as the legislative branch of government, replacing Congress.
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