Sept. 11 a Dark Day in Chile, Too

[Say_What]

That headline is a f*ck'n understatement--a white wash that doesn't even hint at the US involvement. Uncle Sam and the CIA did everything they could to support Allende's overthrow (much like what it does today in Venezuela) and then supported Pinochet's nearly two decade reign of terror. :puke:

<clips>

SANTIAGO, Chile - Sept. 11 is dark day in Chile too: the anniversary of Gen. Augusto Pinochet's bloody military coup. And as in the past, it finds Chileans not just sad, but angry.

Violent protests have broken out in several cities, leaving four people injured and at least 20 detained. The government warned of "zero tolerance" for anyone who tries to incite unrest Sunday.

"This is not the Chile we want to build," said President Ricardo Lagos, urging his South American nation to remain calm this weekend.

Pinochet seized power Sept. 11, 1973, toppling democratically elected Marxist President Salvador Allende, who committed suicide during the military bombardment of the government palace.

The general went on to govern Chile for 17 years. During that time, 3,197 people were killed for political reasons, according to an official report prepared by the civilian government that succeeded Pinochet in 1990. More than 1,000 others — the "disappeared" — remain unaccounted for and were presumably murdered after being picked up by Pinochet's security forces.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050910/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/chile_coup_anniversary

[BlueIris]

1. As someone who supports a certain perspective about 9/11,

that one that starts with an M, not an L, I've often wondered if the correlation between Pinochet's take-over was significant. It probably was.

[Say_What]

3. Can you please clarify?

Kissinger and pal Pinochet.

[Zynx]

4. The rightwingers still defend Pinochet.

If you look up "Pinochet" on Google, you will find articles interspersed defending him as an anti-Marxist crusader. Of course he was just another cold blooded murder dictator, but don't tell the right-wing that.

[Say_What]

6. Yes, well aware of that. Meanwhile the Pinochet family is facing

charges for tax evasion and fraud. The son, Marco, is chilling his heels in jail. They released the mom, who claims it was she who encouraged her husband to take part in the coup and claims she would have been harder on people that her POS husband was and of course any time there's even a hint of arrest or court the murderer Pinochet heads for the nearest hospital claiming illness. That 'family that preys' together is not exclusive to the the BFEE ;-)

http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=6243&Palabra=pinochet

http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=6241&Palabra=pinochet

[Zynx]

2. That was one of the darkest days in history.

The United States managed to back a coup of an old and established democracy and turn it into one of the most repressive dictatorships of the time.

What I've always found weird is that the number killed by Pinochet, 3,197, is very similar to the total number of deaths on September 11th here.

[Say_What]

5. Just read the book "Missing", which inspired the movie by the same name

and here's a quote. I think the 3,000 figure is who they can actually account for. The Pinochet military claimed they didn't have records for many of the disappeared.

"...The avowed goal of the ruling Junta was "the extermination of Marxism in Chile." Towards this end, arrest lists were distributed to military command posts across the country, and thousands of persons were imprisoned. Locked in their homes by a round-the-clock curfew, 75,000 Chileans were arrested. Fifteen thousand of these were executed...."


Page 96, "Missing--The Execution of Charles Horman", by Thomas Hauser, 1978.

[nariel]

7. and on Sept 23, 1973 Pablo Neruda died...

a great loss for the world.

Victor Jara was tortured at the coliseum along with many, many others.

From what I understand, the Catholic church, ie the local priests, etc were very instrumental in getting many people out of Chile during that time.

Allende was elected fairly, but was doomed the minute he nationalized the silver and nitrate mines. That didn't sit well with ITT, Anaconda, and other US based corps. That's why the US intervened--profits were at stake here.

[peacebuzzard]

8. I read Isabel Allende's "My Invented Country"

about her personal experiences in Chile during the preAllende, the Allende, and the coup. It was a very absorbing account by a gifted writer.

The Chileans are a very adaptable and resilient population. I would love to visit Vina del Mar and Santiago one day.
They have a very horrible past, with the unaccountable disappearance of thousands of leftists and presumed militants they are still dealing with after 30 plus years. So many people were just simply "wiped out".