US Intervention in Chile

US Intervention in Chile

Lilet M, Leslie R, Hailey P, Gilbert H

Open Ended

What do you know about the US' Intervention in Chile?

​Overview

Guiding Questions

• What was the objective of the US’ Intervention in Chile?

• Why did Allende start to nationalize privatization?

• What was the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat? 

• ​How did this event affect the tension between countries?

Key Figures: 

​Salvador Allende- 28th president of Chile

​Richard Nixon- 37th US president

​Key Terms

• Nationalize: Making privately-controlled companies and industries operate under government control. 

• Monroe Doctrine: A foreign policy of the United States that affected the relationship with Latin American countries.

• ​Privatization: Transferring a business, industry, or service from public to private ownership and control.

• ​Junta: a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force

• ​Socialism: A range of economic systems that is characterized by shared ownership.

​Who was Salvador Allende?

​ Salvador Allende was Chile's first socialist president. He was born on June 26, 1908 in Valparaiso, Chile, and died on September 11, 1973 in Santiago in the Chilean coup d’etat. 

​

Allende ran for president for the first time in 1952, but was dismissed from the Socialist Party. He ran again in 1958, this time with the support of the Socialists as well as the then-legal Communists, and finished a close second behind. He was soundly defeated in 1964 by Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei. For his victorious 1970 campaign, he became President, and won with 36.3 percent of the vote in a three-way contest.

​What were the policies that were instated? 

U.S. Policy Toward Chile: 

• With the history of the U.S. policy towards Chile, there have been patterns with the United States' diplomatic and economic interests in the unilateral policy. Castro's rise to power suggested the Monroe Doctrine abandoned the principles that were still alive. Castro encouraged a new United States hemispheric policy for Chile. There were disagreements at the end of the Eisenhower Administration and the beginning of the Kennedy Administration. 

• With the policies changing, it evolved into a dual policy response that prevented hopeless housing conditions for a broad majority of Latin Americans who were poor. The U.S. had to take loans that the communist threat continued to plague the logic of the Alliance for Progress to become apparent. To eliminate the communist subversion, it’s necessary to support Latin American armed forces. 

• As Chile has chosen to become the showcase for the new Alliance for progress, Chile had an extensive infrastructure plan. In the years between 1962 and 1969, Chile received over a billion dollars, overt United States aid and loans. 

​

​Monroe Doctrine: A foreign policy of the United States that affected the relationship with the Latin American countries.

What were the policies that were instated? (continued)  ​

Chilean Political Parties: 1958-1970: 

• The majority of indirect American assistance to Chilean political parties came as part of particular measures to impact election outcomes.

• In the 1958 elections, Allende was one of four candidates. His main opponents were conservative Jorge Alessandri and Eduardo Frei, the candidate of the newly formed Christian Democratic Party, which ran against the traditionally centrist Radical Party.

• Dissatisfaction with it was shown in the legislative elections of 1961 and the municipal elections of 1963. 

• The FRAP parties made huge gains, and the Christian Democratic Party progressively expanded its share of the electorate until it became the largest single party in the 1963 elections.

• The 1964 election was a three-way contest. Frei was once again the Democratic candidate, while the left-wing parties chose Allende as their normal candidate.

• The Democratic Front disintegrated in part as a result of an disapproving election result in a March 1964 by-election in a historically conservative region.

• Frei administration lost popularity; the Democrats' share of the vote in legislative elections decreased from 43 percent in 1965 to 31 percent in 1969. 

• Frei stood down in 1970, he was no longer president. 

• Salvador Allende was the Chilean left's presidential contender for the fourth time in 1970 elections. Chilean voters were familiar with both his personality and his program. In all three elections, his agenda was similar: measures to redistribute income and change the Chilean economy, beginning with the nationalization of large businesses, particularly copper corporations; considerably expanded agricultural reform; and extended contacts with socialist and communist nations.​

Multiple Choice

What was the Monroe Doctrine?

• A US foreign policy that negatively affected the relationship with Latin American countries.

• A US foreign policy that positively affected the relationship with Latin American countries.

• An agreement between the US and Latin American countries proving they're besties <333

​What was the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat?

The Chilean coup d’etat was a group of military officials that was led by General Augusto Pinochet. This group started on September 11,1973. The military established a "junta" that suspended all political activity in Chile and repressed left-wing movements, especially communist and socialist parties and the Revolutionary Left Movement.

​

The collapse of Chilean democracy ended a succession of democratic governments in Chile, which had held democratic elections since 1932. During the air raids and ground attacks that preceded the coup, Allende gave his final speech, vowing to stay in the presidential palace and refusing offers of safe passage should he choose exile over confrontation.

​

​Junta: a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force

Civil resistance against Chilean armed forces

Draw

What is your interpretation of the 1973 coup d'etat? Draw it out!!

​Why did Allende start to nationalize privatization?

The United States had been mining copper in Chile for their own benefit until July 11, 1971 when the Chilean congress reached a consensus on allowing their government to gain the rights to operate the three largest American-owned copper mines- Anaconda, Kennecott, and Cerro- in order to support their own economy. This break from American policy was “culmination of a long history of conflict” between American-owned copper companies and Chilean government. Allende’s ability to nationalize the US’ foreign investments intended to “restructure Chilean society along socialist lines.” (History.com 2010) President Nixon was in office at the time and feared that his investments in Chile would be turned into a socialist and communist resource that would infiltrate the spread of Communism. ​

​President Nixon on High Alert

President Nixon was fearful that Allende's nationalization of privatization would encourage the spread of communism because a communist rule would mean that economic resources and systems were owned and operated by the state government. Socialism however, means that citizens share equal ownership of economic resources and systems under a government elected through democratic elections.

​This resemblance to communism had Nixon on high alert because the socialist construct had to potential to evolve into the communist structure he was trying to prevent from spreading.

Multiple Select

Why was Nixon afraid of Allende's decision to gain the government jurisdiction over the private copper mines?

• He was worried that it would spread Communism

• He was afraid it would contain Communism

• He didn't want to loose a foreign investment.

• He had nothing better to worry about