Overthrow of Salvador Allende

Essay # 26235

History > Latin America
International Relations > Non-U.S.
Latin-American Studies > Post-Modern (1960 on)

Examines the overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1973 and the consequences.

1,242 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

The death and violent overthrow of Chilean President Dr. Salvador Allende, on September 11, 1973, represents the result of a three-year long testing whether political institutions can survive sharp transformation in their policies. The capitalist class, with help from exterior powers, replaced Allende's democratically elected government with a military regime that ruled for 17 years. The crucial figure in this military coup was Allende's successor Augusto Pinochet. This paper examines the events that led to the overthrow of Dr. Allende's government, as well as the significance of the overthrow. The opinions from scholars Peter A. Goldberg, author of the journal "The Politics of the Allende Overthrow in Chile" as well as Gil Merom, author of the journal "Democracy, Dependency, and Destabilization: The Shaking of Allende's Regime" are used as reference.

From the Paper:

"Forty years prior to Allende's rise to power, the Chilean political elite was dependent on bargaining and compromises between government and opposition parties. However, during his regime, Allende made an agreement between his Unidad Popular (UP) the coalition of parties of the left, and Christian Democratic Party (PDC). The agreement provided new constitutional backing for the pluralism of Chile's institutional system, in return for which the PDC agreed to vote for Allende. The agreement guaranteed the existence of the opposition political parties, while the President is in control of armed forces. Social groups like labor unions and institutions like the universities, the private schools and the communication media were guaranteed their autonomy and multiparty character. This marriage between UP and PDC worked almost perfectly during the first year of Allende's regime."