The most important place in Santiago de Chile, the old coin making palace and later on presidential seat of Chile is located at the Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins in the center of the city. It is a beautiful palace which was scene for the CIA-backed military coup d’état on September 11, 1973. Today it is seen as a major event of the Cold War with a symbolic power equal to the Cuban Revolution.
In 1970 the socialist Salvador Allende was elected president of Chile with the support of the left-wing alliance Unidad Popular (UP). He socialised different assets like mines and after Fidel Castro visited Chile in 1971 the U.S. thought that Chile would follow the economic model of Cuba. Having another state of that kind wasn’t acceptable for them.
“I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people.
The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves.”
– Henry Kissinger
That is why they backed Augusto Pinochet who started a military coup d’état on September 11th, 1973. The Chilean Air Force was bombing the presidential seat in Santiago de Chile and later on the army stormed the building. In the afternoon hours Salvador Allende gave order to surrender, went into the hall of independence and committed suicide.
Augusto Pinochet took over power and reigned with a military junta until 1990. He created concentration camps, detained 40.000 political opponents in the Estadio Nacional of Santiago – some where killed in cruel ways; they were even thrown from helicopters into the sea. The history of the Desaparecidos remains still today unclear to some extent.
La Moneda
Santiago de Chile
Chile
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