Chile Dictatorship
Salvador Allende and Augusto Pinochet
Introduction
Salvador Allende and Augusto Pinochet marked Chile with terrifying deaths and their dictatorship was harmful to mostly all people from Chile. From 1970, all the way to 1998 people from Chile lived a life of fear and thirst for justice. After Allende, a Marxist, was elected president due from lies about giving Chileans a peaceful democracy people discovered the terrifying truth that he wanted to establish a totalitarian government. People started protesting for antimarxist and on September 11, 1973, the military attacked the palace were Allende was present and who then committed suicide. After the coup, Pinochet being head of the army seized control of the country with other four members.
Even before Augusto Pinochet became president he was responsible for many deaths Such as the Caravan Of Death. Before time, Pinochet declared himself to not be ambitious. After the coup, Pinochet delivered a speech saying, ” ...I am not an ambitious man; I would not want to seem to be a usurper of power"(Childress,2005). Pinochet’s speech, in fact, was not true at all as explained in the book because Pinochet used violence, such as torture, to stay in power.
Economics
Poverty shaped the events and outcomes because the necessity for people to get money pushed them to act against Allende. According to Diana it says, "Allende's program began to falter. The price of copper on the international market dropped, leaving the government without funds for its social programs. Prices for consumers goods rose, and there were shortages, particularly of food and everyday necessities"( Childress,2005). This shaped the outcomes because instead of Chile staying the way they were, the military had to respond and take over Chile
Photo Credit: http://socialistworker.org/2013/09/11/a-coup-against-democracy-in-chile
Human Rights
When Pinochet took over he established new rules as for the people living in Chile. Human rights were violated and the constitution was not followed. In an article it says," Political parties and trade unions were banned, detentions of activists escalated and a curfew was imposed, meaning that no one could be seen on the streets between midnight and 6 am”(Amnesty International, 2013). If they would see you outside they would shoot you. This was a violation of human rights and some negative outcomes were that people started to rebel against the military and they started to feel hatred against Allende.
Photo Credit: https://www.popularresistance.org/40-year-fight-for-justice-against-pinochet/
Leadership
When Pinochet became the head of the army he felt in power and he thought everything was at his disposal. This is why his leadership got many people killed. As said in the New York Times, "A fearsome security apparatus known as the National Intelligence Directorate, or DINA, persecuted, tortured, and killed Pinochet's opponents within Chile and sometimes beyond its borders"( Kandall, 2006). He influenced the outcomes that were to come for Chilean citizens because he was used to seeing people get killed.
Photo Credit: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article24781345.html
What were some positive effects after Pinochet came to power?
Some positive effects after Pinochet came to power was the rise of the economy. The economy, as well as safety, was better than in Allende’s years. In the New York Times it says, " He won grudging international praise for some of the free-market policies he instituted, transforming a bankrupt economy into the most prosperous in Latin America" (Jonathan, 2005). New York time also goes on in saying how he created a better social security system and a central bank that controlled interest which made it possible to cut wages rapidly. Although Pinochet is responsible for deaths and tortures as also the cruel leadership he did improve the economy. It is difficult to say that he was good dictatorship because although he took Chile out of the hole they were in, he then filled the hole with many deaths.
Bibliography
"Amnesty International." Life under Pinochet: Chile Remembers. UTC, 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2013/08/life-under-pinochet-chile-remembers-pinochet-was-stigma-chile-and-world/
OPVL:"Amnesty International" is a news source wanting to inform about Pinochet's dictatorship. It gives us specific information as to what happened under Pinochet's dictatorship and also some human right violations. Although it gives us much information it lacks in the analysis of the events.
"Chilean Accused of Murder, Torture Taught 13 Years for Pentagon."Mcclatchydc. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article24781345.html
Childress, Diana. Augusto Pinochet's Chile. Minneapolis: n.p., 2005. Print. Twenty-First Century Book.
OPVL- This book by Diana Childress gives later on perspectives as also some quotes and pictures of the time period. The book was helpful for learning more about the events under Pinochet's rule. The purpose, inform the reader of what happened in Chile after Pinochet came to power.
Helmore, Edward. "40 Year Fight For Justice Against Pinochet."PopularResistanceOrg. Tribute To Justice, 08 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. https://www.popularresistance.org/40-year-fight-for-justice-against-pinochet/
Kandell, Jonathan. "Augusto Pinochet, Dictator Who Ruled by Terror in Chile, Dies at 91." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2006. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/americas/11pinochet.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
OPVL-Thus is a newspaper published in 2006. This newspaper gives some background knowledge of who was Pinochet and Allende. It focuses more on negative outcomes of Pinochet's dictatorship. This piece is good for gathering primary sources, but it lacks in some aspects of numbers.
"The Coup That Crushed Democracy in Chile." SocialistWorker.org. N.p., 18 Sept. 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. http://socialistworker.org/2013/09/11/a-coup-against-democracy-in-chile