Salvador Allende

Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (June 26, 1908 – September 11, 1973) was a Chilean physician, politician, and the first Marxist president elected in a democratic election, serving as Chile’s president from November 3, 1970, until his death during the military coup of September 11, 1973. A lifelong socialist, Allende led the Popular Unity coalition, advocating for nationalization, social reform, and anti-imperialism. His presidency faced intense opposition from the United States, Chilean elites, and the military, culminating in a CIA-backed coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. Below is a detailed biography of Allende’s life, career, and connections to broader geopolitical events, including the roles of figures like Thomas G. Clines, Theodore Shackley, and Edwin P. Wilson, as relevant to your previous queries about CIA operations.

Early Life and Education

Salvador Allende was born on June 26, 1908, in Santiago, Chile, to an upper-middle-class family with a history of political engagement. His father, Salvador Allende Castro, was a lawyer and public servant, and his mother, Laura Gossens Uribe, came from a prominent family of Belgian descent.

• Education: Allende attended the Liceo Eduardo de la Barra in Valparaíso and began studying medicine at the University of Chile in 1926. He graduated as a physician in 1933, specializing in pathology, but his political activism often overshadowed his medical career.

• Early Political Involvement: As a student, Allende joined leftist groups, including the Masonic Lodge, and was influenced by Marxist ideas. In 1931, he was arrested for his role in protests against President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, marking the start of his lifelong commitment to socialism.

Political Career

Allende’s political career spanned four decades, during which he became a leading figure in Chile’s Socialist Party and a champion of social justice.

1 Early Roles (1933–1945): ◦ In 1933, Allende co-founded the Socialist Party of Chile, advocating for workers’ rights, land reform, and anti-imperialism. Unlike the Communist Party, the Socialists emphasized democratic socialism. ◦ He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1937, representing Valparaíso and Quillota, and focused on healthcare and labor reforms. In 1939, he served as Minister of Health under President Pedro Aguirre Cerda, implementing programs to combat poverty and disease. ◦ Allende was elected to the Senate in 1945, a position he held until 1970, becoming a prominent voice for nationalizing Chile’s copper industry, controlled by U.S. companies like Anaconda and Kennecott.

2 Presidential Campaigns (1952–1964): ◦ Allende ran for president in 1952, 1958, and 1964, representing leftist coalitions. He lost each time, partly due to U.S. interference. In 1964, the CIA spent millions to support Eduardo Frei Montalva of the Christian Democratic Party, fearing Allende’s Marxist platform, as documented in declassified U.S. records. ◦ His campaigns emphasized “the Chilean Way to Socialism,” a democratic path to social reform, distinguishing him from Soviet-style communism.

3 Popular Unity and 1970 Election: ◦ In 1970, Allende led the Popular Unity coalition, uniting Socialists, Communists, and other leftist parties. He won the presidency on September 4, 1970, with 36.6% of the vote in a three-way race, narrowly defeating Jorge Alessandri (34.9%) and Radomiro Tomic (27.8%). ◦ Lacking a majority, his election required Congressional approval. The U.S., under President Richard Nixon, pressured Chile’s Congress to block Allende, with Nixon ordering the CIA to “make the economy scream,” as revealed in declassified documents. Allende was confirmed on October 24, 1970, after agreeing to a constitutional guarantee of democratic principles.

Presidency

Allende’s presidency aimed to transform Chile through democratic socialism but faced intense domestic and international opposition.

• Key Policies: ◦ Nationalization: Allende nationalized the copper industry, Chile’s economic backbone, without compensation to U.S. firms, prompting lawsuits and U.S. retaliation. He also nationalized banks, telecommunications, and other industries. ◦ Land Reform: His government accelerated agrarian reform, redistributing land to peasants, which alienated wealthy landowners. ◦ Social Programs: Allende expanded healthcare, education, and housing, increasing wages and providing free milk to schoolchildren. These measures boosted his popularity among the working class but strained the economy. ◦ Foreign Policy: Allende strengthened ties with Cuba, the Soviet Union, and non-aligned nations, hosting Fidel Castro in 1971. This alarmed the U.S., which viewed Chile as a potential Soviet foothold in Latin America.

• Opposition and U.S. Interference: ◦ Domestic Resistance: Chile’s conservative elites, including the military, media, and business sectors, opposed Allende’s reforms. Strikes by truckers and copper workers, often funded by the CIA, disrupted the economy. Inflation soared (150% by 1973), and shortages fueled unrest. ◦ CIA Operations: Declassified U.S. documents confirm the CIA’s role in destabilizing Allende’s government. Under Nixon and Henry Kissinger, the CIA spent $8 million on propaganda, funding opposition parties, and supporting media like El Mercurio. Track I and Track II operations aimed to block Allende’s election and, later, orchestrate a coup. The CIA also supported the 1970 assassination of General René Schneider, a constitutionalist military leader, to provoke a preemptive coup.

Connection to CIA Figures

▪ Thomas G. Clines: As deputy chief of the CIA’s Western Hemisphere Division (1972–1976), Clines oversaw covert operations in Latin America, including support for anti-Allende forces. His role involved funding opposition groups and coordinating logistics, potentially via Air America in the region.

▪ Ted Shackley: As chief of the Western Hemisphere Division, Shackley supervised Clines and directed CIA efforts to destabilize Allende, including propaganda and economic sabotage. His network, including Clines and Edwin P. Wilson, was instrumental in these operations.

▪ Edwin P. Wilson: Wilson’s front companies, like Consultants International, supplied arms and equipment to anti-communist forces in Latin America, potentially supporting anti-Allende factions. His later involvement with EATSCO, linked to Clines and Shackley, reflects the same CIA network active in Chile.

• Economic Crisis: U.S. sanctions, including a credit blockade by the World Bank and IMF, exacerbated Chile’s economic woes. Copper prices fell, and hyperinflation eroded public support, though Allende’s coalition gained votes in the 1973 parliamentary elections.

Coup and Death

On September 11, 1973, the Chilean military, led by General Augusto Pinochet, staged a CIA-backed coup. The presidential palace, La Moneda, was bombed by Hawker Hunter jets, and troops stormed the building. • Allende’s Final Stand: Refusing to surrender, Allende delivered a final radio address, vowing to defend Chile’s democracy. He died during the assault, officially by suicide with an AK-47 gifted by Fidel Castro, though some allege assassination. A 2011 autopsy confirmed suicide, but debates persist. • Aftermath: The coup installed Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973–1990), which killed or disappeared over 3,000 people, tortured tens of thousands, and exiled 200,000. Allende’s reforms were reversed, and Chile adopted neoliberal policies under U.S. influence.

Connections to Nugan Hand Bank and Michael Jon Hand • Nugan Hand Bank: There is no direct evidence linking Allende’s presidency to Nugan Hand Bank, co-founded by Michael Jon Hand. However, the bank’s role in laundering money and financing anti-communist operations in the 1970s, including Edwin P. Wilson’s 1974 arms deal, aligns with the CIA’s anti-Allende efforts. Wilson’s front companies supplied equipment to Latin America, potentially supporting anti-communist factions in Chile, though specific ties to Allende’s ousting are undocumented. • Michael Jon Hand: Hand’s CIA work in Laos and alleged mission to destabilize Australia’s Whitlam government (1975) reflect the same U.S. intelligence strategy used against Allende. His bank’s operations, managed with figures like William Colby, overlapped with the CIA’s Latin American networks, but no records connect Hand directly to Chile.

Legacy Salvador Allende remains a global symbol of democratic socialism and resistance to imperialism. His presidency inspired leftist movements worldwide but also highlighted the limits of reform in the face of U.S. intervention. The Pinochet dictatorship’s atrocities underscored the cost of his overthrow, galvanizing human rights campaigns. Allende’s image endures in Chile, with statues, memorials, and his former home in Santiago as a museum. His story is documented in works like Peter Kornbluh’s The Pinochet File and declassified U.S. records. If you’d like further details on Allende’s policies, the CIA’s role, or specific connections to CIA figures, please let me know!