Washington declassified two documents dated September 8 and 11, 1973 which confirm US awareness of the imminence of General Augusto Pinochet’s coup d’état.
“I don’t see why we should sit idly by and watch a country become communist because of the irresponsibility of its people. The issue is too important for Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves."
Thus, the then Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, stated his opinion during a meeting on June 27, 1970, in which covert US interventions in Chile were examined.
The declassified documents
The shadow of foreign interference and the betrayal of democratic principles once again stretches across the international political scene, this time with the revelation of US declassified documents that cast a sinister light on the involvement of the USA in the 1973 coup that ended the democratic experience of Salvador Allende in Chile.
The involvement of then President Richard Nixon, and Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, in the plan to end Unidad Popular’s socialist experience, has long been more than just a suspect and was confirmed by the previous material also released from the US archives.
On the 8th and 11th September 1973, a few hours before the coup against Allende, President Richard Nixon received two reports from Chile. Their contents remained secret for almost half a century.
Only on Friday night, two weeks before the 50th anniversary of the event, did Washington declassify and publish portions of these daily reports prepared for Nixon.
The facts indicate "the possibility of military intervention in the short term. The ferment is concentrated in the Navy, whose personnel are nervous about the imminent appointment of a new chief. Navy men who conspire to overthrow the government are clamoring for the support of Army and Air Force", reads the document dated September 8, released by the US ambassador in Santiago, Bernadette Meehan.
According to the report, faced with the looming threat, Allende sought a political solution until the bitter end. The September 11th text states: "President Allende hopes that he can avoid confrontation."
Unfortunately, he was wrong: a few hours later, the planes of the Armed Forces would bomb La Moneda, starting the regime of Augusto Pinochet.
The reports emerging from the declassified documents offer an alarming perspective, fully in keeping with the history of the country, on how the United States played an active role in supporting and orchestrating the coup perpetrated by Pinochet.
In fact, the declaration of the White House spokesman who, 50 years later, speaks of a commitment to the promotion of democracy and human rights can only sound hypocritical. Yet another example of political rhetoric that hides the real interests behind the scenes: "The declassification of documents," specifies the release, "is a complex and multi-agency process in which the US government takes into account numerous factors, including national security, source protection, and any risks and benefits of disclosing specific information."
The role of Washington and the CIA
As anticipated, this revelation comes after years of suspicions and clues that were already suggesting a significant role for the United States in the Chilean coup. Other documents declassified during the presidency of Bill Clinton also amply proved how Washington and the CIA attempted to overthrow Allende, as far back as the early 1970s.
Previously declassified documents have confirmed that Allende’s downfall occurred with substantial consent and economic participation from US authorities at the time. However, the confirmation of these suspicions through the publication of the new documents throws an even starker light on the wound of foreign interventionism and the manipulative use of power in the name of ideology and national interest.
The statement by the US Embassy in Santiago on the complexity of the declassification process and the concern for national security sounds like an empty excuse to justify the long duration of this secret.
National security should never be used as a pretext for hiding the truth and evading historical responsibility. World opinion has a right to know what role the United States played in subverting a democratically elected government, overthrowing the self-determination of a people, and causing immense suffering.
The admitted economic involvement and the consent of the United States in the fall of Allende not only cast shadows on the concept of self-determination of nations but also revealed the double game of a superpower that stood and still stands as a champion of freedom and democracy, while in reality it operated and operates to defend its economic and geopolitical interests at the expense of the most fundamental human ideals.
History has repeatedly shown that external interference in a nation’s internal affairs can have dire consequences, causing political instability, human rights violations, and suffering for ordinary people. The Chilean experience is a painful example of how decisions taken at the table by foreign powers can irreparably alter the trajectory of a state and its population.
The publication of the declassified documents is a painful reminder of the need to constantly be alert to the dangers of foreign interference and to fight for the principles of democracy and national self-determination.
Original article published on Money.it Italy 2023-08-28 10:00:00. Original title: Cosa rivelano i documenti USA desecretati sul golpe di Pinochet e l’assassinio di Allende
