On This Day in History: September 11

Overthrow of Chilean President Allende

Subscribers can listen to the audio version of today’s post here.

A gentle reminder that paid subscribers are greatly appreciated and help fund my efforts to provide content that is free of charge and available to all.

People flew airplanes into buildings today and it sucked. But it’s not like the U.S. didn’t do shitty things to other countries too. Today is also the anniversary of President Nixon and the CIA helping Chile’s military overthrow a democratically elected government because socialism. 

--On This Day in History, Shit Went Down: September 11, 1973--

It wasn’t quite like America’s involvement in overthrowing a democratically elected government in Guatemala in 1954, or when they did the same thing in Iran in 1953, or that time in Indonesia in ... get the picture? This one was a bit different, except Nixon wanted Chilean President Allende out and that’s what fucking happened. 

Salvador Allende ran for president four times before he was successful, narrowly attaining the nation’s top political position in 1970 via a coalition government. He was a “hey maybe we should look after the people” kind of guy, seeking to nationalize industries, improve education, and elevate the living conditions of the working class. Of course the right wing was furious, because caring about people is commie bullshit, and the right controlled congress so there was a lot of conflict during the three years of Allende’s reign. 

Unlike many other South American countries, Chile was recognized as a politically stable democracy for decades, until that Augusto Pinochet fucknugget got involved. Pinochet, a Chilean Army general, got a lot of help from the U.S. in seizing power. From day 1 of Allende’s election victory Nixon said we gotta get rid of that fucker, and he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations to destabilize Allende’s government and make it ripe for a coup d’état. One of the more direct things the CIA did was pay for the assassination of the chief of the Chilean Army, who was opposed to a coup, so that a more coup-friendly general could take command. 

The CIA created turmoil, but the real damage was done via American economic policy, leading international reprisals against Chile that nuked that nation’s economy. This led to rampant inflation, strikes, food shortages, and violence between left and right, making it ripe for Pinochet to lead a violent overthrow of the government. And that’s what he did, on September 11, 1973. The CIA and therefore Nixon were informed of the coup the day before as a “thanks for the support” courtesy. 

Pinochet said resign motherfucker and Allende said no fucking way and Pinochet said suck on these rockets and sent fighter jets to bomb the presidential palace. As troops approached, Allende took his AK-47—a gift from Fidel Castro—and put the barrel under his chin and bid the world adios. For years it was alleged he’d not taken his life, but in 2011 his body was exhumed and examined by an international team of independent experts and they said yeah he did himself in. 

Perhaps he did it because he knew what a murderous motherfucker Pinochet was. The next 17 years of Pinochet as military dictator of Chile super sucked, all with the blessing of the United States. 

Thanks, Alethea, for the suggestion of today’s topic. 

Support keeping this daily column free and get access to subscriber only content:

Get the book On This Day in History Sh!t Went Down.