grunwald@uiuccsb.UUCP (09/14/83)
#N:uiuccsb:11000021:000:1615 uiuccsb!grunwald Sep 13 18:40:00 1983 I have a question that I hope some of the older members of the net might be able to answer. In the current issue of "In These Times", a newsweekly aimed towards indpendent socialists, there is an article about the current unrest in Chile. In the article, they mention that at the time Allende was assinated, there was a significant majority who did not support his programs. Many of the unions and conversative parties felt that he would be too radical of an influence on the country. It mentions that one party, the Christian Democrates were ploting a coup to dispose Allende, even at the expense of Chiles 136 years of democracy. Many of the parties who now oppose General Pinochet were supportive of him at that time: He said he was "happy, because I thought the military was saving the country...later I realized - and deeply regretted - that they were turning the country into a strong dictatorship and that I would be called on to lead the opposition against the very ones I was so happy to see take power" original qoute from In These Times, July 13 this qoute taken from ITT sept 14 The preceeding quote was by Rodolfo Sequel, the leader of the Copper Union, one of the groups now opposing the Pinochet government. SO. Anyway, my question is: What evidence is there that the CIA or any american body instrumented the assination of Allende in '73? I was just a little squirt back then and didn't really care about the situation in Chile. Since then, I've been trying to find information on it, but haven't had the chance to consult any of the more recent books on the matter.
myers@uwvax.ARPA (Jeff Myers) (09/17/83)
Ah, I was hoping someone out there knew where Chile was. uiucdcs!grunwald has something in common with me and many of our companero netters out there -- in 1973 we were little squirts and didn't give a damn about what little the US media told us about events in Chile. Mr. Grunwald's article really struck home to me, for a set of reasons. First, my first research paper here at the UW-Madison focused on Chile, during which time I caught up on what I had missed when I was 14. Second, 10 years ago last Sunday, the Presidential palace of Chile was strafed and bombarded by the Chilean air force when it contained only Presidente Salvador Allende and those few close advisors who chose to die with him. He had sent the Presidential guard and everyone he could convince to go away before the assault began. The brutal military coup which brought Chile Augusto Pinochet occurred on September 11th, 1973. Third, the entire last week here in Madison has been devoted to a series of activities in remembrance of that event, when the aspirations of the Chilean people to control their own destiny was cut short. A number of speakers have appeared; academics, a member of the Christian Left in Allende's government (Luis Maira), Allende's Minister of Mining and close economic advisor, various exiled members of the Chilean Left. Fourth, I just got back from a showing of the movie "Missing", which describes the events surrounding the execution of Charles Horman by the Chilean military (with probable knowledge and approval by US officials then in Chile), and his wife's and father's search for him. What was special about this showing was that Charlie's wife, Joyce Horman, was there to speak beforehand. Incidentally, she is now working in New York as, of all things, a computer analyst (whatever that is). Mr. Grunwald requested information about documentation on the US involvement in Allende's overthrow. It is extensive, and I will suggest places to look as a start (for rabbit!jj 's benefit; I hope it makes him feel good to be noticed). One place to start to get an overall view of the situation is Thomas Hauser's book, "Missing". However, if you want to get right into the hardcore evidence, look up the Select Senate Committee on Intelligence Activities report on the CIA's operations in Chile. For a laugh, read Kissenger's memoirs. If anyone is interested in additional references (Mr. Grunwald in particular), I will be happy to scrounge around in my office and provide them. One additional point: it is not true that a VAST majority of the Chilean people opposed Allende's government; in the 1972 elections, after two years of Allende's administration, 44% of the votes went to the UP coalition, up from 36% in the 1970 elections. Allende's government was the FIRST government in Chilean history (Chile was a democracy since about 1850) to increase its vote after two years in office. What about Chile in 1983? Well, it now seems certain that Pinochet's days are numbered, but how many dead will there be before a return to democracy? Pinochet is now universally detested, even by the CDU and the truckers who were instrumental in his installation in the first place. Let us hope that true democracy returns to Chile, and that the US will not smash democracy where it does not conform to imperialist foreign policy interests in the future. It is up to us to make sure that people are not slaughtered for the well being of ITT, Anaconda copper, and Kennecott ever again. Value life, and not rhetoric, Jeff Myers
grunwald@uiuccsb.UUCP (09/21/83)
#R:uiuccsb:11000021:uiuccsb:11000025:000:1608 uiuccsb!grunwald Sep 20 17:44:00 1983 How very odd. Last evening, after writing that note, I happened to meet a friend who introduced me to a Chilean student here. He was going to college in Chile after the Allende government was overthrown. From my understanding, he felt that the Pinochet government actually had a certain amount of broad support before the recent bust years. Prior to the last couple of years, Chile was undergoing the biggest boon years it ever had. Unfortunetly, "the economic miricles were sandcastles" -- the boon didn't last. This led to dissatisfaction with the Pinochet regime. This bust apparently affected the upper middle class and the upper class much more than the farmers. "The poor have always been poor and were used to it." The wealthy had to find some way to pay back the millions and millions of dollars in loans that they had secured. Part of this collapse was caused by the drop in copper prices from $1.10/pound to $.60/pound. Copper is Chiles major export, of course. The thing that irked him the most is the stigma that is attched to the Allende/Pinochet/CIA affair. No western country, and in particular, the U.S. can offer aid to Chile. To do so would be very bad for the public image of the country giving the aid. There is so much bad feeling about the coup and the U.S. involvement in it that the is just taboo to aid the current government It was very interesting to hear this view, particularly from someone who does not currently support the Pinochet government. Spoken : Dirk Grunwald University of Illinois USENET : ihnp4 ! uiucdcs ! grunwald CSNET : grunwald.uiuc@Rand-Relay
myers@uwvax.ARPA (Jeff Myers) (10/01/83)
Interested in what the US did in Chile starting 20 years ago? Well, you can find out the minimal set of US covert action by picking up the Church Committee Report (US Senate) at your local Federal Document Repository. Don't have one nearby? Uh oh, that one's been out of print for a while, so the Fed Press won't have it. If you can't get a copy and would like one, let me know and we'll work something out. The title of the report is "Covert Action in Chile 1963-1973". The catalog number is [delta]Y4.In8/17:C43/963-73 The CIA has received most of the public criticism for its activities there; many feel that the CIA was used partially as a scapegoat for the DIA, which was also active in Chile. Jeff Myers @Madtown